Concert I - bracing voices

Soloist

mary mackenzie - soprano

Described by the New York Times as “a soprano of extraordinary agility and concentration," and the Boston Globe as “sensational," Mary Elizabeth Mackenzie has captured the attention of audiences throughout the United States.

A passionate performer of contemporary vocal music, Ms. Mackenzie has collaborated with Pierre Boulez, John Harbison, Richard Danielpour, and James Primosch; and works closely with young composers to develop and premiere new works for voice. As a chamber musician she has appeared with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Chameleon Arts Ensemble of Boston, Collage New Music, the Continuum Ensemble, Ekmeles, the Da Capo Chamber Players, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, The Juilliard School’s AXIOM Ensemble and New Juilliard Ensemble, Le Train Bleu, the Metropolis Ensemble, and the Talea Ensemble.

Notable solo appearances include Harbison’s Closer to My Own Life with the Albany Symphony; Elliott Carter’s Warble for Lilac Time with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; Jean Barraqué's Chant Aprés Chant with the Juilliard Percussion Ensemble at Alice Tully Hall; Boulez’s Improvisations sur Mallarmé Nos. 1 & 2 for the composer’s 85th birthday celebration at Columbia University’s Miller Theatre; Reinbert De Leeuw’s Im wunderschönen Monat Mai at the Bravo Vail Festival; Héctor Parra’s Hypermusic: Ascension at the Guggenheim Museum; Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 2 with the Borromeo String Quartet; and Pierrot Lunaire at Town Hall Seattle and the Rockport Music Festival. Ms. Mackenzie made her professional opera debut as Despina in Così fan tutte with Madison Opera, and has appeared as the soprano soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and the Phoenix Symphony.

Ms. Mackenzie is can be heard singing John Harbison’s Closer to My Own Life with the Albany Symphony on their recent release for Albany Records. She is a featured singer on Opera America’s Songbook album, performing Richard Danielpour’s Homeward. Upcoming recordings include James Primosch’s Sacred Songs and Meditations with the 21st Century Consort, the debut recording of John Harbison’s Songs After Hours, and a recording of cycles by Dan Crozier, John Harbison, James Primosch, and Ned Rorem with pianist Heidi Louise Williams.

To learn more about Mary Mackenzie, please click here to visit her website.