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Eleganza: Rhiannon Giddens and Cheryse McLeod Lewis have been creating their own unique and elegant spin on the classical vocal duet since 2003. Their incomparable soprano and mezzo-soprano voices entwine to create a seamless and riveting expression of the music they sing. Diverse and eclectic in their duet repertoire, Ms. Giddens and Ms. Lewis enchant listeners with a variety of musical genres from opera, art song and spirituals to jazz, sacred song, and musical theatre. Recognized for their complementary vocal colors and electrifying stage presence, these artists consistently deliver performances that delight audiences of all ages.
Both accomplished soloists in their own right, Ms. Giddens and Ms. Lewis bring a wealth of varied performance experience to the duo. Rhiannon Giddens is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory and has pursued graduate studies both at Oberlin and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Of her performance in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette, Donald Rosenberg of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said she was “a Juliet of unerring musical and thespian gifts.” William Thomas Walker of Classical Voice of North Carolina said “Giddens was outstanding in her portrayal of Susannah Polk” in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. She has worked with such renowned conductors as Ward Holmquist, Artistic Director of Lyric Opera Kansas City, Robert Spano, Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and David Bamberger, General Director of the Cleveland Opera. Ms. Giddens has performed in outreach programs with both Cleveland Opera and Greensboro Opera.
Whether sparking the stage aflame with her fiery and sensual Carmen or dissolving an audience into laughter with her dry and witty Orlofsky, mezzo-soprano Cheryse McLeod Lewis brings a striking vocal and physical presence to the stage. Of her debut as Carmen with Asheville Lyric Opera and South Carolina Opera, Martha A. Fawbush of the Asheville Citizen-Times commended Ms. Lewis’ voice for filling the hall with “stunning vocal power” and for moving “effortlessly from laughing flirtation to…Carmen’s fiery emotional reactions.” For her role as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Connecticut Opera, David Shengold of Opera News Online praised Ms. Lewis for her “rich lyric-mezzo sound” and “endearing characterizations.” Ms. Lewis has appeared with numerous opera companies that include Connecticut Opera, Opera Carolina, Houston Ebony Opera, The Opera Company of North Carolina, Asheville Lyric Opera, and Greensboro Opera. Ms. Lewis is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Together, Rhiannon Giddens and Cheryse McLeod Lewis bring an exquisite beauty to the art of the vocal duet that is unparalleled. You are invited to experience all that Eleganza has to offer. Please also visit Eleganza online at www.EleganzaMusic.net.
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