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Mezzo-Soprano Cheryse McLeod Lewis: 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 Ms. Lewis’ debut as Carmen with Asheville Lyric Opera and South Carolina Opera, Martha A. Fawbush of the Asheville Citizen-Times commended 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' operatic repertoire embraces a wide range of roles including Carmen (Carmen), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), The Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), and The Secretary (The Consul). During the 2006-2007 season, Ms. Lewis appeared as The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors (Opera Carolina) and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel (Greensboro Opera). Upcoming engagements during the 2007-2008 season include Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Asheville Lyric Opera) and Flora in La Traviata (Piedmont Opera).
On the concert stage, Ms. Lewis has appeared as the Mezzo-Soprano Soloist in The Messiah with the Greensboro Oratorio Society and as a soloist with The Opera Company of North Carolina in their popular "Evening of Carolina Voices" concert. She also performs in concert with her duo group Eleganza (RCAM Ensemble). Recent engagements for Eleganza include performances/lectures on the lyceum series at NC A&T State University, Concord University, Johnson C. Smith State University, and the Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church Concert Series. Upcoming Eleganza engagements include appearances on the Mount Olive College Recital Series (2007) and Shaw University Lyceum Series (2007).
Ms. Lewis, a native of Greensboro, NC, earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her Professional Artist Certificate from the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute at the North Carolina School of the Arts.
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