Heather Phillips is an American operatic

coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano () is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile run (music), runs, leaps and Trill (music), trills. The term ''coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, whi ...

. She began her career at the

Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. After creating the ''Opera Association of New Mexico'' in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby (conductor), John Crosby, oversaw the building of the f ...

where she created there the role of Katie in Jennifer Higdon's '' Cold Mountain'' in 2015. She made her European debut at the

Oper Frankfurt The Oper Frankfurt (Frankfurt Opera) is a German opera company based in Frankfurt. Opera in Frankfurt am Main has a long tradition, with many world premieres such as Franz Schreker's ''Der ferne Klang'' in 1912, ''Fennimore and Gerda, Fennimore ...

in 2022 in the title role of Rossini's ''

Bianca e Falliero ''Bianca e Falliero, ossia Il consiglio dei tre'' ( English: ''Bianca and Falliero, or The Counsel of Three'') is a two-act operatic '' melodramma'' by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani. The libretto was based on Antoine- ...

''.

Life and career

Phillips studied at the

University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is a performing and media arts college of the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Initially established as the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 1867, CCM is one of the ...

, obtaining both Bachelor and Master of Arts diplomas. She was a member of the

's studio, appearing as Sardula in Menotti's ''

The Last Savage ''The Last Savage'' is an opera in three acts by composer Gian Carlo Menotti. Menotti wrote his own libretto, originally in the Italian language (''L'ultimo selvaggio''). The opera was translated into French (''Le dernier sauvage'') by Jean-Pier ...

'' and as Contessa in Rossini's ''

Il viaggio a Reims ''Il viaggio a Reims, ossia L'albergo del giglio d'oro'' (''The Journey to Reims, or The Hotel of the Golden Fleur-de-lis'') is an operatic dramma giocoso, originally performed in three acts,Janet Johnson: ''A Lost Masterpiece Recovered'', pp. 37 ...

''. She joined the company for a year in 2014, performing roles such as Frasquita in Bizet's ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

'' and Gilda in Verdi's ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...

''. She created there the role of Katie in Jennifer Higdon's '' Cold Mountain'' in 2015. Phillips performed as Konstanze in Mozart's ''

Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () (Köchel catalogue, K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's . The plot concer ...

'' at the

Opera in New Orleans Opera has long been part of the musical culture of New Orleans, Louisiana. Operas have regularly been performed in the city since the 1790s, and since the early 19th century, New Orleans has had a resident company regularly performing opera in ...

, and as Elvira in Rossini's ''

L'italiana in Algeri ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...

'' at the

Lyric Opera of Kansas City Lyric Opera of Kansas City is an American opera company located in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1958 by conductor Russell Patterson, the company presents an annual season of four operas at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Prod ...

. In concert, she appeared with orchestras including the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

, the

Austin Symphony Orchestra The Austin Symphony Orchestra is the oldest performing group in Austin, Texas, USA. It was founded in 1911. History The inaugural concert of the Austin Symphony Orchestra was held on April 25, 1911. Initially, the orchestra consisted of 28 unpai ...

and the

Canton Symphony Orchestra The Canton Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Canton, Ohio. Founded in 1937, the orchestra made its first performance on February 16, 1938, under the direction of Richard Oppenheim. Louis Lane became its second music director in ...

. Phillips made her European debut at the

in 2022 in the title role of Rossini's ''

'', alongside Beth Taylor as Falliero, directed by

Tilmann Köhler Tilmann Köhler (born 1979) is a German theatre stage director who has worked with the ensembles of the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar and the Staatsschauspiel Dresden. His broad repertoire includes classical plays and world premiered. Several ...

and conducted by Giuliano Carella. The work had been planned for 2020, and in collaboration with the Tirol Festival in Erl, to conclude a focus of Rossini's works. A reviewer from the ''

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung The (; ''FAZ''; "Frankfurt General Newspaper") is a German newspaper founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt and is considered a newspaper of record for Germany. Its Sunday edition is the ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung'' ( ...

'' described her beginning of "Da un istante, da un momento" in a quartet tenderly like a silver thread. He wrote that she portrayed her character's development from a naive girl to a suffering victim of power, with the pathos of Greek tragedy, and finally to a disillusioned self-determined woman, with a delicate voice full of nuances, and shining in ensembles. Another reviewer noted her precise and flexible coloraturas, serving to portray the development of her characters.

References

External links

*
Heather Phillips / Sopran
operabase.com * Kane, Dan
Opera soprano Heather Phillips gained musical experience in Canton area
(interview) eu.cantonrep.com
Heather Phillips debuts in Frankfurt
(management) l2artists.com 10 Mar 2022

cicada-con.de {{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Heather American operatic sopranos Living people 21st-century American women opera singers University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music alumni Year of birth missing (living people)