Biography
Mezzo soprano Jessye Wright is admired for her rich, colorful voice – a rare instrument with both brilliance and depth – as well as her impeccable musicianship and striking stage presence. She was among just four mezzos earning distinction as an “Upwardly Musical Artist on the Move” in Symphony Magazine’s Guide to Emerging Artists.
Upcoming engagements for Ms. Wright include the alto solo in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with Elgin Symphony, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Park Ridge Civic Orchestra. Recent seasons for Ms. Wright include a debut performance in Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall of Mozart’s Requiem with Maestro Martin Josman and the National Chorale; Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with both Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and DuPage Symphony Orchestra; and Meg Page in Falstaff with Maestro Emmanuel Plasson and the New York Opera Society in the Théâtre municipal de Castres, France. She just appeared as a soloist in the International Advent Singing Festival in Vienna, Austria, preceded by Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de Confessore with Maestra Jane Glover and Chicago’s Music of the Baroque. Upcoming seasons include a solo appearance in the Ghent Arts and Music Festival in Belgium; Beethoven’s Ninth with Bozeman Symphony in Montana; and the Nevsky Cantata with Maestra Barbara Schubert and the DuPage Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Wright received rave reviews for her portrayal of the title role in Carmen at Ravinia Music Festival with Opera Theatre North. Jessye then sang Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Chattanooa Opera, and Meg Page in Verdi’s Falstaff with New Jersey Opera Theatre. Other operatic performances for Ms. Wright include Third Lady in Magic Flute with Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and Pitti-Sing in The Mikado with Nashville Opera.
Ms. Wright made her Carnegie Hall debut in a performance featuring solos from the Messiah with Maestro Jonathan Griffith and MidAmerica Productions. That same year, Jessye made her European debut as a featured alto soloist in the Festival Internazionale di Musica in Tuscany, Italy. Subsequent concert performances for Ms. Wright include Verdi’s Requiem with Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Ninth with Illinois Philharmonic and Mobile Symphony.
A past national semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions, Jessye received the Ardis Krainik Memorial Prize in Voice from Chicago’s National Bel Canto Foundation, and won 2nd place in the International Classical Singer Competition.
