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Soprano Rochelle Bard has been described as an ‘exquisite’ and ‘poignant' singing actress. Prestigious U.S. and International vocal competitions have recognized Ms. Bard, who was recently awarded First Place and Audience Choice in the Classical Singer Competition and 2nd Place in the 2009 Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition. She was also a winner in the George London Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Awards in San Francisco, and the Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition. Subsequently, she had her Lincoln Center debut in Alice Tully Hall at the annual Puccini Gala, and in Carnegie Hall for the Gerda Lissner Winners Concert.
Recent performances include Micaëla in Carmen with Ash Lawn Opera, Musetta in La Boheme with Sacramento Opera, the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera Idaho, the title role in The Merry Widow with St. Petersburg Opera Company, Gilda in Rigoletto with Rockland Opera, and the Foreign Princess in Rusalka with Boston Lyric Opera, for which Opera News deemed her a ‘deliciously evil enchantress, conveying the haughty cruelty of the Foreign Princess with a bright, crystalline soprano’. She completed her Artist Residency in 2008 with Opera San José with much acclaimed performances of Lucia di Lammermoor, Gilda in Rigoletto, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Violetta in La Traviata, and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette.
In 2010, she will debut as Magda in La Rondine with Opera Tampa,followed by performances of Violetta in La Traviata with the Music by the Lake Festival, and a return to Opera Tampa to sing the title role in The Merry Widow. During the summer of 2011, Ms. Bard will debut as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Utah Festival Opera as well as sing the title role in The Merry Widow.
Opera critics hailed ‘Rochelle Bard is a sensational Lucia. The young lyric soprano lent her incomparable phrasing and acting to a performance that brought out new levels in the title character's psychological undoing’.The San Francisco Chronicle acclaimed, ‘Her account of the famous final mad scene was a knockout - fluid, precisely etched and marked by a haunting sense of vulnerability.’ The Idaho Statesman added, ‘Bard surprised the audience throughout the performance with her rich, flexible and fluid voice, and the depth of emotion and character she brought to Lucia. Her mad scene was a marvel. The duet with the flute was flawless and beautifully mesmerizing’.
As Gilda in Rigoletto, ‘It was Bard who owned the show with her opalescent lyricism and dramatic impact’, ‘With sweetness and purity, she negotiated ‘Caro nome’ with formidable breath control and dynamic range- her notes exquisitely suspended in air. Her portrayal of a young woman in love as both brave and ecstatic made the character’s sacrifice logical, even acceptable.’ For her performances of Violetta in La Traviata, Ms. Bard has been described as 'stunningly poignant' with ‘exquisite femininity’ and a 'powerful and creamy coloratura soprano voice.’
In 2005, Ms. Bard was engaged as a Studio Artist with the Baltimore Opera Company, where she sang Giannetta in L’Elisir d’Amore, Barbarina and Countess (cover) in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Antonia/Giulietta (cover) in Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Other credits include Gilda in Rigoletto in concert with Cape Cod Opera, Mrs. Maurant in Street Scene with Maine Grand Opera, the title role in The Merry Widow with New England Light Opera, Louise in La Vie Parisienne with Opera Boston, Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Longwood Opera, and Cunegonde in Candide with the New England Conservatory of Music. As a fellow at Tanglewood, Ms. Bard created the role of Juana in the world premiere opera Rage d’Amours, commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
A Massachusetts native, Ms. Bard received her BA in Biology from the College of the Holy Cross and her Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music. She was trained as a pianist and accompanied singers before finding her own classical voice. Ms. Bard is a sought-after concert artist as well with recent performances of Exsultate Jubilate, Carmina Burana, Mozart Requiem, Lord Nelson Mass, Elijah, Bachianas Brasileiras, Poulenc Gloria, and the Brahms Requiem. |
