Heidi Melton
Vocalists
— Soprano
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Manager: Robert Scott, Ken Benson
Management Territory: Worldwide
Berg's luxurious Seven Early Songs introduced us to the breathtaking voice of the young American soprano Heidi Melton, whose seamless lyricism floated effortlessly over the molten restlessness of Berg's golden orchestrations. Ken Walton, The Scotsman, October 13, 2009 —Soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony, Berg Seven Early Songs
“As Elisabeth, American soprano Heidi Melton, who is still almost totally unknown in Europe, is a revelation: she possesses a powerful voice from one end of the tessitura to the other and holds her own when she faces off all the men in the Act II finale. There is no tension or pushing in her singing, which is enhanced by the sheer size of her instrument and the roundness of her tone. She lets it flow as easily in a whisper - like her prayer, which was palpable and perfect - as in a more brilliant moment - as in a luminous ‘Dich teure Halle’ which was exciting from the first note.” Forum Opera, May 11, 2009 —As Elisabeth in Tannhäuser in Bordeaux:
“Where the performance shone most unforgettably was on the female side. Soprano Heidi Melton, a third-year Adler Fellow who stepped in at a day's notice for an ailing Patricia Racette, swatted away any hint of nerves with a big, gleaming and tonally resplendent performance….The ravishing high point of the evening was the women's ‘Recordare’ duet [with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe], delivered with aching sweetness and backed by steely technical assurance.” Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, June 1, 2009 —In Verdi Requiem with San Francisco Opera under Donald Runnicles:
About
In the 2009-2010 season, soprano Heidi Melton returns to the San Francisco Opera for her final year in the company’s Adler Young Artists Program. She will also debut at the Metropolitan Opera as the 2nd Maid in Elektra, and sing Berg’s Seven Early Songs with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Donald Runnicles. In the spring, she will perform a variety of roles with the Deutsche Oper Berlin including First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Marianne Leitmetzerin in Der Rosenkavalier, Helmwige in Die Walküre, and Third Norn in . . . Götterdämmerung, among others.
Last season, Ms. Melton returned to L’Opera de Bordeaux to sing her role debut of Elisabeth in Tannhäuser to tremendous acclaim. She made her debut with that company in the spring of 2008 as Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera. Other notable engagements that season include her debut with the Milwaukee Symphony in a New Year’s Eve Gala performance of Beethoven Symphony No. 9, and performances of Mahler Symphony No. 4 with California’s North State Symphony Orchestra.
As a member of the San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellowship, Ms. Melton has performed a variety of roles including Mary Todd Lincoln in the world premier of Phillip Glass’ Appomattox, Marianne Leitmetzerin, and Dianne in Iphigenie en Tauride.
Other notable past engagements include Gertrude in Hansel and Gretel with Philadelphia Opera Company; she sang with the Berkeley Symphony in Golijov’s “Night of the Flying Horses” and Shostakovich’s “From Jewish Poetry”; with Napa Valley Symphony, she sang Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. She was also invited to sing two prestigious recitals: The Schwabacher Debut Recital through the San Francisco Opera, and a recital for the Jussi Bjorling Society in Voxna, Sweden.
As a 2006 participant in the Merola Opera Program, she performed Amelia in scenes from Simon Boccanegra at Yerba Buena Gardens. Additionally, she performed the roles of Miss Grose in Turn of the Screw, Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos, Alcina in Alcina, Lady Billows in Albert Herring, and Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte all with Curtis Opera Theater.
Additional concert performances include the Szymanowski Stabat Mater and Schubert Mass in A with the Eastman Philharmonic Orchestra, Beethoven Mass in C with Eastman Summer Sing, Bach Mass in F with Curtis Madrigal Singers and the Philadelphia premiere of Richard Danielpour’s cycle, Sweet Talk.
Ms. Melton is the 2009 winner of the George London/Kirsten Flagstad Memorial Award; she won second place in the José Iturbi Compeition; she won a Sarah Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation; and she won third place in the 27th Annual Belevedere Competition. In 2006 she was a national semi-finalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions as well as the winner of the Mario Lanza Competition.
