GRANVILLE, Ohio—The very name of Jessye Norman conjures up a vision of an enormously powerful and breathtaking voice flowing forth from a magnificent presence. Norman will grace the stage of Denison University’s Swasey Chapel (200 Chapel Drive) at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 7. A limited number of tickets may be offered for sale to the general public at $15 if space allows. Details will be available at vailseries.org and on the Vail Series hotline at 740-587-6557.
According to The New York Times, “Jessye Norman is one of those once-in-a-generation singers who are not simply following in the footsteps of others, but staking out her own niche in the history of singing. This is an amazing voice, a catalogue of all that is virtuous in singing.”
Sunday’s program will emphasize music of American theatre and culture, with selections from “Porgy and Bess,” “Lady Be Good” and “Carousel,” among others. The concert, titled “American Masters,” is a testament to Norman’s consummate skill and vital interpretation of many musical genres.
Norman has consistently proven that neither she nor her voice could ever be typecast. Her singing performances have ranged from such operatic icons as the title role of Verdi’s “Aida” and Berlioz’s “Les Troyens,” as both Cassandra and Dido; to “Sacred Ellington,” a celebration of the music of Duke Ellington, and a monumentally moving rendition of “America the Beautiful” at the unveiling of the tribute to the World Trade Center.
Norman’s many accolades include being the youngest recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor and receiving a medal of honor from the French Legion of Honor. She engages and supports musical education through the Jessye Norman School of the Arts in Augusta, Georgia, and she serves on the boards of the New York Public Library, Carnegie Hall and the Dance Theatre of Harlem, to name a few. She also is a relentless Girl Scout cookie seller.
Pianist Mark Markham will accompany Norman. A gifted artist in his own right, Markham is known for his extraordinary technique and unerring sense of style. After studying for 10 years at the Peabody Conservatory, where he received bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, Markham won several competitions, including First Prize and the Contemporary Music Prize at the 1988 Frinna Awerbuch International Competition in New York. He has been Norman’s recital partner since 1995.
This concert marks the finale of the 34th season of the Vail Series and the retirement of its founding director, Lorraine Wales, though in a final gesture before retiring, the diligent impresario Wales has created an “encore season” for next year’s Vail Series. During her tenure, Wales has brought the likes of such performers as Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, Mark O’Connor, Itzhak Perlman, Wynton Marsalis, Leontyne Price, Emanual Ax, Yo Yo Ma, and Dizzy Gillespie to Swasey Chapel. It is a fitting tribute to Wales that her final concert as director features the glorious and superlative voice of musical artist Jessye Norman.
About Denison:
Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.
