Biography
2005-2006

Soprano Elizabeth Weigle has earned critical acclaim for her unique vocal beauty, savvy musicianship, and dramatic skill, which she lends to a wide variety of musical styles ranging from the Baroque through the 21st Century. Of her Carmina Burana performances last season, Christian Piatt of The Pueblo Chieftain wrote: "Elizabeth Weigle's crystalline soprano mourns the vicissitudes of love lost, culminating in her solo in "Sweetest one," reaching a D above high C that is nothing short of inspiring." For her performances of Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass this fall, Milton Moore of The Day (Rhode Island) wrote: "From her first descant soaring above the Kyrie, Weigle was superb Sunday setting the stage in the canonic Credo, she led the performance throughout. ...Weigle set the tone for excellence here as in the Benedictus."

As with last season, Ms. Weigle performs music ranging from the Baroque to the 21st Century across the United States. With Kristjan Järvi's Absolute Ensemble, she sings the American premiere of Daniel Schnyder's opera Casanova at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Baroque performances this season include her American Bach Soloists debut in San Francisco singing BWV 51, Jauchzet Gott in Allen Landen, and three other Leipzig cantatas (BWV 97, 9 and 70). Ms Weigle was immediately rehired by American Bach Soloists to sing Messiah next season (December 2006)! She repeats Jauchzet Gott in Allen Landen with members of the Colorado Symphony in Denver, and then performs Handel's gorgeous Armida Abbandonata and Purcell's From Rosy Bowers on the debut season of the hot new Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado (Denver).. Other season highlights include Brahms Requiem, Haydn Lord Nelson Mass, and Bach Magnificat with the Chorus of Westerly (Rhode Island).

Ms. Weigle has collaborated with some of the finest contemporary music ensembles in the United States, including Speculum Musicae, New Music Consort, and Kristjan Järvi's Absolute Ensemble. With the latter, she performed and made a world debut recording of the chamber music version of Mahler's Symphony No. 4, as well as premiered Charles Coleman's Nine By Dickinson (another work written for her) at New York's Merkin Concert Hall. Her other recent new music performances include Oliver Knussen's Hums and Songs of Winnie the Pooh on the Making Music series at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall - a work she has also sung at Tanglewood. Ms. Weigle was a featured soloist at the Bowdoin Music Festival, where she gave the world premiere of Vineet Shende's, Sonetos de Amor, (which she recently recorded), as well as Harbison's Simple Daylight and Berio's Folksongs. Highlights among her many other premieres include David Diamond's song cycle The Gift at Juilliard, Christopher Theofanidis' Song of Elos at the American Academy in Rome, Charles Coleman's Dorothy Parker Songs (also written for Ms. Weigle) on the Concerts at Noon series at New York's Trinity Church, and Shih Hui Chen's 66 Times, the Voice of Pines and Cedars at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Her other recent concert performances included Beethoven's Symphony Number Nine with Portland Symphony (Maine), the lead role of Peri in Schumann's Das Paradies und Die Peri with Back Bay Chorale (Boston), Carmina Burana with Pueblo Chorale (Colorado) and Mozart's Requiem with the Chorus of Westerly (Rhode Island).

On the operatic stage, Ms. Weigle most recently received critical acclaim for her role as Pat Nixon in John Adams' Nixon in China with Opera Boston, where she was hailed by The Boston Herald as "a perfect Pat Nixon". Last season she was featured in the lead soprano role in readings of Kempers's opera Bridge of San Luis Rey with American Opera Projects under the baton of Steven Osgood. The New York Times has also praised her "impressive performance as the Governess" in Britten's Turn of the Screw. Her other operatic roles include the world premiere of Emma in Richard Wilson's Aethelred the Unready with members of the American Symphony Orchestra at Merkin Hall, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier (Chautauqua Orchestra), Despina in Cosi fan Tutte (Chautauqua Opera), Singer No. 1 in Conrad Susa's Transformations (Center for Contemporary Opera, New York City), and Barbarina in Nozze di Figaro (Virginia Opera).

In a live public radio broadcast, Ms. Weigle performed and recorded Mozart's Requiem with Apollo's Fire on their tenth anniversary celebration at Cleveland's Severance Hall. Of her performances with Martin Gester and the New York Collegium, Paul Griffiths of the New York Times wrote "The concert boasted an exciting pair of soprano soloists..., both beautifully accurate and both stylish in their handling of French Baroque ornamentation, particularly the trill at the end of a phrase. They also contrasted nicely with one another, as warm and cool, gold and silver." Her other early music credits include performances and recordings with Boston Camerata, Boston Baroque, Cantata Singers, L'Antica Musica New York, Concert Royale, ARTEK, New York Early Music Celebration and the Rochester Bach, Boston Early Music, and Carmel Bach Festivals.

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music where she studied with the late Jan DeGaetani, Ms. Weigle received her Masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music with continued studies at The Juilliard School. The recipient of the Hugh Ross Award for Outstanding Vocal Performances from the Manhattan School of Music, she was also awarded Fellowships to the Tanglewood Music Center and the Aspen Music Festival, AGMA Apprenticeships at both Chautauqua Opera (NY) and Virginia Opera, and a Fellowship to the Carmel Bach Festival. She has recorded for the Nonesuch, Erato and Albany labels.