Othalie Graham

Othalie Graham is a Canadian American dramatic soprano, known for operatic roles such as Turandot in Turandot, Tosca in Tosca, Minnie in La fanciulla del West, Aida in Aida, Elektra in Elektra and Ariadne in Ariadne Auf Naxos.

Early years

Graham was born in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.[1] Her father, a Jamaican born Canadian, instilled in Graham a strong identification with Jamaican music and culture.[1] When Graham was young, her father sparked her interest in opera by taking her to see a Leontyne Price recital.[1] Her passion in opera grew while attending high school at the Etobicoke School of the Arts. While in Canada, Graham was awarded first place in the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Competition and received the coveted Jean Chalmers prize in the Canadian Music Competition.[2]

Othalie attended Philadelphia's prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts, or AVA[3] after studying under Lois McDonall.[4] At AVA, she studied under Bill Schuman and continues to study with him.[1] Graham has won the Opera at Florham voice competition[5] as well as the Liederkranz Society's annual competition, where she made her New York City recital debut.[6] She was also the New Jersey district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Competition.[2] Graham also spent a summer training under the widely admired Italian opera singer Renata Scotto at the Renata Scotto Opera Academy at the Music Conservatory of Westchester.[2][3]

Career

Canadian-American soprano Othalie Graham continues to receive critical acclaim throughout North America and is widely known for her interpretations of the title roles in Turandot and Aida and her commitment to Wagnerian repertoire. The Boston Globe noted that for her interpretation of Turandot her “timbre and power were thrilling – steely ring from top to bottom – and her path from imperiousness to passion was convincing.”

Upcoming appearances include the title role in Turandot at the Teatro Cervantes de Málaga, and with Knoxville Opera, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leonard Slatkin, as part of his final season as Music Director of the DSO. Ms. Graham also covers the title role in Elektra at the Teatro di San Carlo in Napoli. Upcoming concert engagements include a Gala with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra celebrating the 90th birthday of Leontyne Price with works by Strauss, Verdi and Barber.

Ms. Graham has performed the title role of Turandot with Edmonton Opera, Nashville Opera, Opera Carolina, Orquesta Filamónica de la UNAM, Opera de Nuevo León, Boston’s Chorus Pro Musica, Arizona Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Sacramento Opera, Opera Columbus, Opera Delaware, Utah Festival Opera, Connecticut Grand Opera, Pensacola Opera, the Westfield Symphony Orchestra, the Harrisburg Symphony, and at the Gran Teatro Nacional del Perú in Lima with the Asociación Cultural Romanza

Recent performances have included the title role in Aida with Opera Carolina, Toledo Opera, and at the Teatro Greco di Siracusa in Sicily with Marcello Giordani; the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos with Festival Opera; and the role of Minnie in La Fanciulla del West with Nashville Opera and Indianapolis Opera. Recent concert highlights include all-Wagner programs in Mexico City at Sala Nezahualcóyotl and at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, in Lima, Peru, and with the Washington Chorus at the Kennedy Center; Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with The Philadelphia Orchestra; the Verdi Requiem with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Mississippi Symphony Orchestra; Serena in Porgy and Bess in concert with Toledo Opera and with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Jacksonville Symphony; Isolde in Tristan und Isolde in Zagreb, Croatia, and with the Washington National Chorus at the Kennedy Center; and the Britten War Requiem with the Fondazione Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi.

Additional appearances have included Odabella in Attila with Sarasota Opera; the title role of Aida for the inaugural performance of the Istanbul International Opera Festival; Leonora in Il Trovatore with Utah Festival Opera; the title role in Tosca with Festival Opera; and the title role in Elektra at Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts. In the Wagnerian repertoire, Ms. Graham’s notable roles also include Senta in Der Fliegender Holländer, Brünnhilde and Sieglinde in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, and Elisabeth in Tannhäuser.

Other concert engagements include a New York recital debut with the Liederkranz Society; Isolde in Tristan und Isolde with the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra in California; Brünnhilde excerpts from Die Walküre for the L’Opéra de Montréal gala; Elijah with Bryn Terfel and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Washington National Chorus at the Kennedy Center; a featured appearance with Eve Queler at the Dahesh Museum of Art; as well as opera galas for Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, Orquesta Sinfonica de Xalapa, and Canada’s Oakville Symphony.

Ms. Graham has recently been included on the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame in her hometown of Brampton, Ontario, honoring those who have achieved excellence in the arts and entertainment industry. She previously was the first-place winner of the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition in the Wagner Division; the first-place winner of the Joyce Dutka Competition; a recipient of a Sullivan Foundation Grant; a first-place winner in the Wagner Division of the Liederkranz Competition, winner of the Jean Chalmers prize in the Canadian Music Competition, winner of the Edward Johnson Competition, and first place recipient of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Competition.[7]

Awards

  • First place in the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Competition
  • Jean Chalmers prize in the Canadian Music Competition
  • Winner of Edward Johnson Competition
  • Winner of Opera at Florham Voice Competition
  • Winner of Liederkranz Society Competition in Wagner division
  • New Jersey district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
  • Finalist in Palm Beach Opera Competition
  • Sullivan Foundation Grant recipient
  • First place winner in the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition in Wagner Division
  • First place winner of the Joyce Dutka Competition

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Shengold, David. (October 28, 2004) Citypaper.net. Othalie Graham.
  2. 1 2 3 The Festival Opera Association. (2006) Othalie Graham bio. Accessed July 19, 2007.
  3. 1 2 North, Cheryl. (July 6, 2006) The Oakland Tribune Can't go wrong with a masterwork by Puccini. Section: Cheryl North.
  4. ↑ http://www.schmopera.com/talking-with-singers-othalie-graham/
  5. ↑ Bugman, Cathy. (July 18, 2002) The Star-Ledger. Celebration for cancer survivors; Around town. Section: In the towns; Page 1.
  6. ↑ Othalie Graham website. Biography, Othalie Graham, soprano. Accessed July 19, 2007.
  7. ↑ Othalie Graham website. Biography, Othalie Graham, soprano. Accessed February 2, 2018.
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