Guest Blogger: Lindsay Russell

Praised as “radiant and authentic” by Opera News and an artist with a “gracious tone” by The New York Times, soprano Lindsay Russell is quickly gaining recognition in the world of opera. Ms. Russell’s vocal versatility and strong acting ability make her a strong “cross-over” artist in roles such as Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Maria in The Sound of Music, Anne in A Little Night Music; and Cunegonde in Candide. This season, Ms. Russell sings the role of Marie in La Fille du Régiment with Intermountain Opera Bozeman and joins the roster of Houston Grand Opera as Addie Mills in The House Without a Christmas Tree and appeared in its production of It’s a Wonderful Life.??In recent seasons she made several role and company débuts, including the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte with Arizona Opera, Opera Roanoke, and Opera Idaho; The Lady with a Hand Mirror in Dominic Argento’s Postcard from Morocco with Portland Opera; Lisette in La Rondine at Skylark Opera; and Valencienne in The Merry Widow with the Northern Lights Music Festival. Additionally, she played Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel with Knoxville Opera and Adele in Die Fledermaus with Nashville Opera. In concert, she débuted at Carnegie Hall in Schubert’s Mass in G Major and Mozart’s Missa Brevis in C; sang the soprano solo in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Mozart’s Requiem with Yakima Symphony; and sang the role of Musetta in La Bohème in her début with New Jersey Festival Orchestra. She also sang the roles of Bettie/Bea in the world première of David Hanlon’s new opera After the Storm with HGOco.??As an apprentice artist with Santa Fe Opera, Ms. Russell made main-stage performances as the First Bridesmaid in Le Nozze di Figaro and performed the “Bell Song” from Lakmé in the Apprentice Showcase. Also in Santa Fe, she covered the role of Fiakermilli in a production of Arabella and performed scenes from Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Ariadne auf Naxos as Blondchen and Zerbinetta, respectively.??Favorite engagements include performances as Valencienne in The Merry Widow with the Sarasota Concert Artists Series, Frasquita in Carmen, A Young Woman in the world première of Jeanine Tesori’s A Blizzard in Marblehead Neck, Laurie Moss in The Tender Land with The Glimmerglass Festival, Gilda (cover) in Rigoletto with Virginia Opera, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas; and the roles of Norina in Don Pasquale and Sophie in Werther as a member of the Seattle Opera Young Artist Program.??She made her début with the Hong Kong Philharmonic singing Queen of the Night in a concert of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and as Flaminia in excerpts from Haydn’s Il Mondo Della Luna. She also débuted with the Yakima Symphony as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana.?Ms. Russell is the winner of the grand prize at Florida Grand Opera’s Young Patronesses of Opera Competition and second prize at the Jensen Foundation Competition. She is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music where she performed the roles of Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro and Gilda in Rigoletto.?