Tracy Watson - Mezzo Soprano

Tracy Watson, mezzo-soprano, is a prolific performer known for the depth and beauty of her voice, as well as her superb interpretive skills. Reviewers regularly use the words lush, rich, velvety and creamy to describe her singing. Audiences have enjoyed her performances in the United States and Europe, from German opera houses to the stage at Carnegie Hall. Ms. Watson began her career as a member of Chicago's Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. At her first audition in Germany, she was immediately engaged to sing Dorabella in Mozart's Così fan tutte at the Stadtische Buhnen Dortmund. Shortly thereafter, she was asked by the intendand to sing her first Nicklausse in Les Contes d'Hoffmann. At Theater Oberhausen, Ms. Watson's leading rolls included Cherubino, Stefano, and Mrs. Cratchit in the German premiere of Thea Musgrave's A Christmas Carol, which was later featured at the opening night of the Nordrhein-Westfalen Festival of New German Theater-Stadttheater Aachen. Ms. Watson was the featured alto soloist in Rossini's Stabat Mater with the Theater Oberhausen Orchestra. While living in Europe, she also sang concerts with the Europera Festival in Cahor, France. After returning to the United States, Ms. Watson sang leading roles with the Portland, Hawaii, Madison and Whitewater Opera companies, Chicago Opera Theater, Light Opera Works and Chamber Opera Chicago. A sought-after Hansel, she also is well known for her Rosina, Musetta and Carmen, plus received rave reviews for her performance of the Secretary in Menotti's The Consul with Portland Opera. Ms. Watson is well known for her concert appearances, having sung a vast array of repertoire from Bach to Bernstein. She made her Ravinia Festival début as soloist for the prestigious Joffrey Ballet singing the music of Erik Satie for the ballet Postcards. She also received rave reviews singing the lieder of Richard Wagner for the Joffrey Ballet at the Dance for Life Benefit Gala at Chicago's Harris Theater. A favorite with the Grant Park Music Festival, she sang under the baton of Carlos Kalmar (Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Haydn's Mass in Time of War, and excerpts from Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier), Hugh Wolff (Janáček's Glagolitic Mass), Christof Perick (Beethoven's Mass in C), Zdenek Macal (Borodin's Prince Igor), and Jesus Lopez-Cobos (Bruckner's Te Deum). As a soloist with Music of the Baroque, she sang Mozart's Waisenhausmesse with Nicholas Kraemer, and Haydn's Theresienmesse with Jane Glover. Maestra Glover has also conducted Ms. Watson in performances of the Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Richard Stilwell, and Verdi's Requiem with Samuel Ramey. Ms. Watson also sang Verdi's Requiem in her début in Barcelona, Spain with the European Symphony Orchestra at the Palau de la Musica. Her Prague début was singing the Mozart Requiem at the Rudolfinum with I Virtuosi Pragenses. At her Carnegie Hall début, Ms. Watson sang Mozart's Mass in c minor with the New England Symphonic Ensemble, and later returned to sing Beethoven's Mass in C and Choral Fantasy, Mozart's Requiem and Coronation Mass, Britten's World of the Spirit and Karl Jenkin's Requiem and The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. She made her début with Musica Sacra, also at Carnegie Hall, singing the alto solos in Handel's Messiah. Ms. Watson has enjoyed great success singing the major works of Bach: St. Matthew Passion, St. Mark Passion, St. John Passion, The Magnificat, and the B minor Mass , as well as other Baroque composers. She has performed with the Bach Society of St. Louis, Princeton Pro Musica, Chicago's Handel Week, The Virginia Consort, Richmond Symphony, Apollo Chorus, St. Charles Singers, Florida, Flagstaff, San Antonio, Duluth, Sheboygan, Northwest Indiana, South Bend, Lake Forest, Eastern Connecticut, DuPage and Classical Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Watson's concert career continues to embrace a wide variety of works. She has performed Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky, Mahler's Second, Third and Fourth Symphonies as well as Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen, Cantaloub's Chants d'Auvergne, Mendelsohn's Elijah, Elgar's Sea Pictures, De Falla's El amor brujo, and Bernstein on Broadway. Having performed for many years with pianist Dana Brown, their duo, Opus 2, presents a vast array of repertoire from German lieder, French melodie, to contemporary American music in recital. The duo is regularly heard live on Chicago's WFMT. Ms. Watson is on the faculty of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and regularly gives master classes with her husband, tenor William Watson.

CURRENT & UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS

Recital Tour

with Dana Brown

Novo Artists Presents

TBA

Tracy Watson as The Secretary in Menotti's The Consul- Portland Opera

PRESS ACCLAIM

As Vocal Soloist with the Joffrey Ballet:

Postcards(with the lush-voiced Tracy Watson singing songs of Erik Satie) captures the romance and energy of early 20th century Paris, with a whimsical collage backdrop by Herbert Migdoll. The female dancers floated like wind-blown soap bubbles."

Hedy Weiss - Chicago Sun-Times - October 17, 2008

As Alto Soloist in Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky:

"SBSO magnificent with epic work" "Watson joined the orchestra for 'The Field of the Dead,' and the rich tone and color of her voice and her expressive, in-character delivery highlighted the mourning nature of this lament but also contained resilience and pride."

Andrew S. Hughes - South Bend Tribune - April 12, 2008

Dance for Life revisits the 'classics' "The Joffrey Ballet reprised Robert Joffrey's German Romantic-era 'Remembrances,' with mezzo-soprano Tracy Watson's velvet interpretations of Richard Wagner's lieder music (performed live together with pianist Paul Lewis) accompanying legendary partners Maia Wilkins and Willy Shives. The work evoked a fleeting, melancholic air."

Lucia Mauro, Special to the Chicago Tribune

"In excerpts from 'Carmen,' Watson was a similar force of nature. Slim and sexy in a long red velvet sheath, she poured out equal parts hauteur and seduction."

Wynne Delacoma, Classical Music Critic - Chicago Sun-Times

Tracy Watson as soloist in Bach's Mass in b minor with The Tampa Chorale and the Florida Orchestra:

"The orchestra pounced on the 'Gloria' with a joyful burst from trumpets and timpani, and mezzo-soprano Tracy Watson spun a creamy 'We Praise You' aria before the full chorus - brilliant in the upper registers - offered a soaring response of thanks."

Kurt Loft - Tampa Tribune

The Secretary in Menotti's The Consul:

" … the finest performance of the evening belonged to Tracy Watson as the Secretary. Her clear, rich mezzo soprano commanded the stage, and her aria, 'Oh, Those Faces,' was both powerful and moving."

Steffen Silvin - The Williamette Week

"Mezzo soprano Tracy Watson is vocally and visually vibrant, almost fooling you into thinking she's a high soprano, as the Secretary, who presents the front of an unfeeling functionary but gradually reveals her underlying humanity."

Mark Mandel - The Oregonian

Alto soloist in Haydn's Theresienmessewith Music of the Baroque:

"Tracy Watson brought a warm yet agile mezzo soprano to her MOB solo début."

John von Rhein - Chicago Tribune

Rosina in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia:

"Tracy Watson's Rosinais the very model of a spunky, empowered, feminist-era heroine who's clever enough to get her way. Singing in the original mezzo soprano keys, she sails securely through her florid passages."

Chicago Tribune

"With her agile, creamy voice, mezzo soprano Tracy Watson brought unflagging energy to the role of Rosina."

Chicago Sun Times

Alto soloist in Messiah:

"The program biography for mezzo soprano Tracy Watson credits her 'dynamic stage' and her animation indeed made her performance, in addition to her smooth and seamless voice. The alto solos in Messiahare low for a female voice, but Ms. Watson displayed virtually no trouble through the vocal registers, including in the low runs of 'O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion' and 'He was despised.' Her dramatic approach was gentle and lyrical."

Town Topics-Princeton

Cherubino in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro:

"Tracy Watson was Cherubino, with his/her roguish traits and a voice full of charm - she is simply a treasure!"

Orpheus Magazine

"…a dream casting of Tracy Watson as Cherubino, her acting ranged from quiet whimpering to ardent imploring."

WZ Düsseldorf

"Quite best of all was the Cherubinoof Tracy Watson, a 'spit-fire' with charm in appearance and voice, with an unmistakable affinity for Mozart."

Opera und Konzert

"The Cherubino, Tracy Watson, with her rich mezzo, is a real 'Stürmer und Dränger'"

WAZ Oberhausen

"Superior was Tracy Watson as the young/fresh, vocally flexible Cherubino."

NRZ Oberhausen

"An equally excellent transformation of a role was demonstrated by Tracy Watson as Cherubino. She was quite free and easy."

Ruhrnachnichten

Stefano in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette:

"A very positive surprise was Tracy Watson who, through her brilliant realization of Stefano, raised it to the high point of the evening."

Opernglas

" Best of all was the Stefanoof Tracy Watson."

Opera und Konzert

The Muse and Nicklaus in Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann:

"As the Museand NicklausTracy Watson, with shimmering voice, was distinctive."

Westfalenpost

"After her Dortmund début at the Sckellstrasse Theater two weeks ago, Ms. Watson is now in the main house portraying the poet Muse and the student Nicklaus, and will remain for all time in the hearts of the public."

Wochenkurier (Dortmund)

"Tracy Watson as the Museand Nicklaus, respectively, brings great zeal to this double role."

Opern Welt

Musetta in Puccini's La Bohème:

"As Marcello and Musetta, baritone David Little and mezzo soprano Tracy Watson were an excellent pair. Watson has an excellent voice that is just right in the role. She also has a tart, often blazing personality that allows her to make Musetta the fiery, fun-loving but truly good person she is."

Paul Sweitzer, Arizona Daily Sun

"The other two leads, baritone David Little as Marcello and mezzo soprano Tracy Watson as Musettawere both a visual and aural delight. They were the perfect couple, acting and singing their roles with vigor, humor and total involvement."

Flagstaff live!

Dorabella in Mozart's Così fan tutte:

"…and the young and very talented Tracy Watson as Dorabella…"

Marabo

"Tracy Watson as Dorabellaand Marion Henseler as Despina ventured an exceedingly successful installment of the Dortmund celebration and we recommend them for further engagements."

Wochenkurier (Dortmund)

Mrs. Cratchit in Musgrave's A Christmas Carol:

"The most beautiful voices of the evening (Musgrave's A Christmas Carol) belonged to the baritone Mark Morouse and the mezzo soprano Tracy Watson."

Aachner Volkszeitung

Polovtsian Maiden in Borodin's Prince Igor:

"Tracy Watson sang a sensuous Polovtsian Maiden."

Chicago Tribune

"The local singers who were involved in this performance did a superb job, notably Tracy Watson with her spectacular soaring soprano, intoning the beautiful Polovtsian music of act two."

The Reader

Musetta in Puccini's La Bohème:

"Tracy Watson as Musetta rolls the show like a hoop whenever the pathos becomes a bit too strong."

The Capital Times

"Anyone lamenting the supposed scarcity of talent among the relatively recent influx of young opera singers across the United States just hasn't been listening. The Madison Opera production of Puccini's La Bohème Friday night stunningly demonstrated the wealth of ability in this group of high quality young singers…Marcello and his Musetta, Tracy Watson, were fiery in their on-and-off lovers' relationship. Watson was fine in her central waltz aria."

Wisconsin Journal

"The Madison Opera's production of Puccini's La Bohème was a triumph worthy of any world culture center, thanks to amazing young singers, fine acting, wonderfully subtle stage direction, inspired orchestral playing, and out-and-out lyrical genius on the podium…the free-spirited Musetta (Tracy Watson) placed more emphasis on rebellion than guile…her voice was bright and clear."

Isthmus

Alto soloist in Mahler's Symphony No. 3:

"…mezzo soprano Tracy Watson…her voice soaring over the audience. Watson's presence through the fourth and fifth movements gave the concert the boost it needed to become memorable for the right reasons."

The Sheboygan Press

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