 |
"A
top notch soprano . . . beautiful sound, so lovely
and musical . . . the voice big and rich."
- Carol
Vaness
Shira Renee Thomas will enjoy a very busy summer in
2010, making her New York debut as Gilda
in Verdi's Rigoletto with Opera Company of the Highlands in
July, then making her Northern California debut covering Violetta
and performing Annina
in Verdi's La traviata with Fremont Opera in August. In January
2011, she will revisit one of her favorite roles, portraying Juliet
in Gounod's Romeo and Juliet with Townsend Opera Players in
Modesto, CA, and in March 2011 she will perform Violetta
in a concert version of La traviata with Center Stage Opera
(CA).
In October 2010, Ms. Thomas will create the role of Marie
in the world premiere of Marie's Orchard with Center Stage
Opera (CA). Marie's Orchard is a brand new opera by composer
Philip Westin and librettist Dylan F. Thomas inspired by Willa Cather's
novel, O Pioneers. In April 2008, Ms. Thomas sang the role
of Marie in segments from a previous version of the story, entitled
Heartland, for an invited audience of ASCAP heavyweights, including
Stephen Schwartz and Eric Whitacre, both of whom have remained involved
in the revision of the opera. The role of Marie in the original score
was tailored specifically for Ms. Thomas, and the role in the re-envisioned
work, Marie's Orchard, has been written entirely for her.
Thomas has delighted audiences in many diverse leading roles including
Marguerite in Faust,
Gilda in Rigoletto,
Juliette in Roméo
et Juliette, Violetta
in La traviata, Lucia
in Lucia di Lammermoor, Adina
in L'elisir d'amore, Micaela
in Carmen, Fiordiligi
in Cosí fan tutte, Fanny
in Rossini's La Cambiale di matrimonio, Adele
in Die Fledermaus, Susanna
in Le nozze di Figaro, Papagena
in The Magic Flute, and the dual characters Isabelle/Madeline
in The Face on the Barroom Floor (Mollicone). Ms. Thomas also
debuted the character of Pieta
in the world premiere, staged version of Eric Whitacre’s groundbreaking
work, Paradise Lost - Opera Electronica.
Ms. Thomas portrayed the role of Mrs.
Hayes in Floyd's Susannah, and covered soprano
Nicole Cabell in the role of Pamina
in Die Zauberflöte at Orange County, CA's Opera Pacific.
As a resident artist of that company, Thomas was a featured soloist
in numerous events, including "Opera in the Park" and "Opera
Under the Stars". She also performed the role of Pamina
in the Pacific Symphony's Family Musical Mornings presentation of The
Magic Flute.
Thomas was a Festival Artist with the Utah Festival Opera Company in
2009, where she was a soloist on two different orchestra concerts, singing
"Deh vieni non tardar" from Le nozze di Figaro, as well as
"June is Busting Out All Over" from Carousel, both with the
UFOC orchestra conducted by Maestro Barbara Day Turner. In addition,
she covered the roles of Micaela
in Carmen and Yum-Yum
in The Mikado, and was chosen as a finalist in the Concorso
Lirico International Opera Competition
Metropolitan Opera soprano Carol Vaness states that "(Thomas')
rendition of the Poison Aria from Romeo et Juliette is incredibly moving,
as she can sing it beautifully with incredible passion and commitment."
As Adina in L'elisir d'amore, critics stated that Thomas "dominates
the story, the stage, and all the music of the work".
The Press Enterprise noted her "...perfect
intonation, elegant control, and artistic phrasing",
in a performance of arias and duets with the Riverside Philharmonic.
As Juliette, Ms. Thomas was reviewed as being "...a
wonder of dramatic and lyric intensity."
Among the numerous awards and scholarships earned by Ms. Thomas, she
was awarded 1st prize in the prestigious Llangollen
International Musical Eisteddfod Vocal Solo Competition
in North Wales. The Musical Eisteddfod has hosted such competitors as
Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti in past years. |
|