Thaïs St. Julien (June 11, 1945 – January 3, 2019) was a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

from

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. She studied under Charles Paddock, Virginia MacWatters and Norma Newton, and was Co-Director (with Milton G. Scheuermann, Jr) of the New Orleans Musica da Camera, which specialises in music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and has toured throughout the Gulf South. She was also Foundress of Vox Feminæ, the female choral extension of the MdC. St. Julien also appeared with The New Opera Theatre (as Dido in ''Dido and Æneas'', her New York debut at

Symphony Space Symphony Space, founded by Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller, is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theat ...

, 1988), Pro Arte Chorale (Amor in a Concert Version of ''Orfeo ed Euridice'', opposite Derek Lee Ragin), Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (''Messiah''), Great Neck Choral Society, International Dvořák Festival, Lyric Opera of Dallas, New Orleans Opera Association, Southwest Chamber Orchestra, Jefferson Performing Arts Society (Bach's ''Magnificat''), etc. In 1997, the soprano was Dircé in the Opera Quotannis ''Médée'', opposite Phyllis Treigle and

D'Anna Fortunato D'Anna Fortunato (born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 21, 1945) is an American mezzo-soprano. She has long been an admired favorite on the American orchestral-concert scene, while establishing herself as a respected operatic artist as we ...

, at

Alice Tully Hall Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The hall is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and Philanthropy, philanthropist whose donations assis ...

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

. This was the uncut, original ''opéra-comique'' version of the Cherubini masterpiece, and St. Julien was possibly the only singer in the twentieth century to sing the florid, difficult role complete and unadulterated. Together with Professor Scheuermann, St. Julien co-hosted the influential Early Music radio show ''Continuum.'' The two have hosted the weekly program since 1976, producing over 2,000 programs. At forty-two years, Continuum is the longest-running Early Music radio program in America, if not the world. The program has been a winner of the Early Music America/Millennium of Music National Radio Competition, and received the KXMS Fine Arts Radio International Award. She was the recipient of the 2007 Louisiana Artist Fellowship in Music. In April 2017, St. Julien was diagnosed with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

, the effects from which she died on January 3, 2019, at the age of 73.

Discography

* Cherubini: ''Médée'' (P.Treigle, Fortunato; Folse, 1997) Newport Classic Musica da Camera Discography * "Satires, Desires & Excesses" (1992) Centaur * "Natus est" (1994) Centaur * "The Cross of Red" (1996) Centaur * "Maiden, Mother, Muse" (1998) Centaur * "Les motés d'Arras" (Fithian; 2000) Centaur * "Ah, Sweet Lady" (1974–2009) Belle Alliance

References

* ''Stagebill'', March 1997. * Liner Notes, ''Médée'', Newport Classic, 1997.

External links

Thais St Julien in Act I of ''Médée'' (1997)
{{DEFAULTSORT:St Julien, Thais 1945 births 2019 deaths American operatic sopranos Musicians from New Orleans Singers from Louisiana 20th-century American women opera singers 21st-century American women opera singers Singers from New Orleans