Mezzo Soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano to Perform at the Massry Center in Albany, 6/26

Albany, NY -- One of the country's most exciting mezzo sopranos, Jennifer Johnson Cano, will perform "Songs of Longing and Desire" in the Picotte Recital Hall at the Massry Center for the Arts in Albany on Friday, June 26, 2015 at 8:00pm. Cano will be accompanied by her husband, Christopher Cano, who is an extraordinary pianist. They often collaborate and work together.

The musical team has created a special selection of songs that fit within the theme longing and desire. They will include works by Brahms, Dove, Barber, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.

Johnson Cano will also perform this summer as Dido in "Dido and Aeneas", which Opera Saratoga will perform outdoors at the National Musuem of Dance in Saratoga Springs, NY. Performances will be held on July 6, 12, 19 and 21st. More information on that opera can be found on the Opera Saratoga website at: www.operasaratoga.org/dido-and-aeneas.

"We are so honored to haveI am thrilled to be able to present Jennifer and Christopher in recital in Albany in June, prior to Jennifer's role debut as Dido in July with Opera Saratoga. This is the first time we are partnering with The Massry Center to present a solo vocal recital. We look forward to expanding upon this partnership in the future, and sharing the incredible talents of vocalists from around the globe in recitals that compliment our opera productions," share their amazing talents with us as part of the summer festival season. The recital concert is a wonderful way to introduce Jennifer Johnson Cano to our Opera Saratoga audience prior to her role in "Dido and Aeneas". It's a musical event you won't want to miss," according texplainedo Lawrence Edelson, artistic and general director of Opera Saratoga. "Jennifer and Chris have presented recitals at many of the country's most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Our audiences are in for a real treat with this very special program."

A naturally gifted singer noted for her profound musicianship, meticulous work ethic and warm personality, Jennifer Johnson Cano is a 2012 Richard Tucker Career Grant and George London Winner who joined The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera in 2008 and made her Met debut in 2009-2010. As First Prize winner of the 2009 Young Concert Artist International Auditions, she has given stunning recital debuts with her on- and off-stage partner Christopher Cano in New York at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center, in Boston at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and in Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center.

Over the last two seasons, Ms. Cano has bowed at The Metropolitan Opera as Mercedes, Emilia, Wellgunde and Waltraute and debuted as Meg Page in Falstaff and Bersi in Andrea Chenier. Other operatic debuts include Marguerite in Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust in collaboration with the Tucson Symphony, The Sharp Eared Fox in Janacek's Cunning Little Vixen with the Cleveland Orchestra and Franz Welser-Möst and Diana in La Calisto with Cincinnati Opera. Summer Festival appearances take place in Bridgehampton and La Jolla with world premiere performances of a chamber music work by Howard Shore and a concert with Duo Assad. Further 2014-2015 season plans include Hansel, Nicklausse and Mercedes with The Metropolitan Opera, Donna Elvira with Boston Lyric Opera, Mahler II with the Utah Symphony, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony, and a return to the Baltimore Symphony with Marin Alsop for Leonard Bernstein's Jeremiah Symphony, which will also be recorded live for Naxos.

In addition to her continued relationship with The Metropolitan Opera, Ms. Cano has appeared with such esteemed orchestras as the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, San Francisco Symphony and Orchestra of St. Luke's. She toured with Musicians from Marlboro singing Respighi's Il Tramonto and Cuckson's Der gayst funem shture, which was recorded live and released by the Marlboro Recording Society. A live recording of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde was also released featuring conductor George Manahan, tenor Paul Groves and St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble. At the request of Mrs. Carol Armstrong, Jennifer Johnson Cano was particularly honored to have been invited to sing the Anderson/Weill September Song at the private funeral for American icon and astronaut Neil Armstrong.

Ms. Cano is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and earned her bachelor's degree in Music from Webster University and her master's degree from Rice University.

Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962, playing to an audience of 230. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually. Opera Saratoga serves the communities of Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack and New York State Capital areas by providing access to world-class opera through the production of an annual Summer Festival, as well as year-round activities including extensive educational programs, mentorship of emerging operatic artists, and unique opportunities for the public to experience opera in both our home theater and non-traditional venues that leverage and embrace the unique cultural, historic, and natural resources of the area. To date, the Company has performed ninety different fully-staged works by fifty-two different composers, including thirty-three works by American composers and five world-premiere productions. Throughout its history, the Company's success has been shaped by visionary leaders, talented artists, and critically acclaimed productions. In 2014, the Board of Directors appointed Lawrence Edelson as the new Artistic and General Director. Edelson's leadership marks a new chapter in the company's history, plans for which include greatly expanded community partnerships throughout the year, diversification of the company's repertoire, and a reaffirmed commitment to both the presentation of American opera and the mentorship of emerging artists as core activities in the company's programs each season. The 2015 summer season marks the first festival under his leadership. For more information, visit www.operasaratoga.org.