ROBERTA ALEXANDER
soprano, SongFest faculty
For those of us who have grown into our artistry adoring the generation of song singers immediately ahead of us, Roberta Alexander's voice, interpretation, and artistry is like a soundtrack to our lives. Her interpretation of Barber, Ives, Copland, and Strauss are peerless, and when she has graced us with her presence at SongFest, our students have been changed. Here below, Ms. Alexander makes a plea for early education in classical music and for all of us to come together around our beloved art form. We are simply grateful.
What will the Legacy of the 21st Century be for Art Song?
Among the most compelling singing actresses of our time, American soprano Roberta Alexander enjoys international renown for her characterizations and vocal and dramatic range.
“An uncommonly communicative recitalist, Roberta Alexander has offered acclaimed programs at New York's Carnegie Recital Hall, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Vienna Musikverein, London's Wigmore Hall and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. An especially ardent and persuasive interpreter of American masterworks, her latest recordings include Songs My Mother Taught Me and With You (the latter an anthology of Broadway songs).
Roberta Alexander's voluminous discography on the Etcetera, Philips, Sony, Teldec and BMG reflects her astonishing mastery of varied vocal styles: songs by Barber, Mozart, Bernstein, Ives, Copland, Strauss, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Puccini and Villa-Lobos; Handel's Giulio Cesare, Apollo e Daphne, Samson and Theodora; Mozart's Don Giovanni and Idomeneo; and such rarities as Goldschmidt's Der Gewaltige Hahnrei and Beatrice Cenci, Heppener's Four Songs of Ezra Pound and an Edison-winning recording of Andriessen's Songs with Orchestra.”
As well as performing, teaching and masterclasses remain important, as passing on her expertise to the next generation of young singers is a significant purpose for her. She offers a broad range of classes for Young Artists Programmes, drawing on her 45 years of stage experience.