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Karen DriscollSoprano/Professor/Private Voice Teacher
Karen Driscoll has attracted considerable interest from her appearances throughout North America during past numerous seasons, including the title roles Massenet's Manon for Florida Grand Opera and Florentine Opera, Mimi in La Bohème for L'Opéra de Montréal, Virginia Opera, and Baltimore Opera, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin for the Seattle Opera and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the title role inSusannah for L'Opéra de Montréal, National Lyric Opera and DiCapo Opera, Juliette for Vancouver Opera and Opera Saskatchewan, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte for the Baltimore Opera, L'Opéra de Montréal, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Musetta in La Bohème for Seattle Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Columbus, Toledo Opera and Opera Carolina. Additional performances have included Nedda in I Pagliacci for Hawaii Opera Theater, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro for Michigan Opera Theatre, L'Opéra de Montréal and Fresno Grand Opera, Despina in Cosi fan tutte for L'Opéra de Montréal, Micaëla in Carmen for Hawaii Opera Theater and the New Jersey State Opera, and Antonia in Les Contes d'Hoffman for Palm Beach Opera. Her most recent engagements include her debut at Carnegie Hall singing as the Soprano Soloist in Messiah with Masterwork Chorus with whom she has also sung Gabriel/Eve in Die Schöpfung. Other notable performances have been singing the title role in Handel’s Agrippina with operamission in New York City, and her debut with Long Beach Opera as Sieglinde and Gutrune in Jonathan Dove's Ring Saga. She also debuted with Worcester Chorus singing Micaëla in Carmen the Musical with whom she has also sung as the Soprano Soloist in Messiah where it was recorded for TV broadcast. Other performances included a return to Worcester Chorus as Soprano Soloist for Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia & Symphony No. 9 as well as singing as soloist with Montclair State University Singers/Chorale in Vaughn Williams’ Dona nobis pacem. Notable reviews have come from Opera News in regard to her performance as Musetta with The Seattle Opera, stating, “Driscoll's Musetta, cleverly costumed by Martin Pakledinaz to invoke the image of Toulouse-Lautrec's Jane Avril, was a whirlwind of high spirits in Acts II and III, her voice radiating joie de vivre. A quieter figure in Act IV, Driscoll remained a moving presence, her voice full of tears.” Also, the Los Angeles Times declared that, “Gary Lehman as Siegmund, and Karen Driscoll, as Sieglinde, performed impressively in ‘The Valkyrie.’” The Seattle Times noted, with her debut as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, that she "proved an intense, big-voiced Tatyana with a fetching stage presence" and finally The Washington Post praised her Pamina by saying "Karen Driscoll's substantial lyric soprano and thoughtful vocal characterization added depth to the role of Pamina.” Ms. Driscoll has also been a winner of many prestigious awards including winning the Grand Prize in the Lee Schaenen Foundation competition and receiving the Gilbert Artist of the Year Award from the Florida Grand Opera. In addition, she was a competition winner with Opera Columbus, Connecticut Opera, Young Patronesses of the Opera in Miami, Florida, and a regional runner-up in the National Society of Arts and Letters competition. Ms. Driscoll is a graduate of The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. She resides in New Jersey where she is an active concert and recitalist and is currently the Head of Artistic Operations/Opera and Assistant Teaching Professor at Montclair State University. She has also taught at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Kean University and Clark University. |
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