Meet the Music Director
Meet the Musicians
Meet the Artistic Advisor
Elizabeth Bishop
Instrument: Mezzo-soprano
American mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop, hailed by Opera News for her "gorgeous voice," has excelled in opera and concert stages across the country, in music ranging from the baroque to the contemporary. The San Francisco Chronicle has praised her singing as "luminous ... with utter panache."
In the 2007-08 season, Elizabeth Bishop sings Frau Marthe Rull in Der zerbrochene Krug, Third Zofe in Der Zwerg, and Grandmother Burjya in Jenufa, all with Los Angeles Opera. In concert, she sings as soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Atlanta Symphony under Robert Spano. She is also engaged by the Metropolitan Opera for their productions of War and Peace and Iphigenie en Tauride and sings the role of Ma Joad in a concert version of The Grapes of Wrath with the Los Angeles Masters Chorale. In summer of 2008 she sings as Octavian in concert in excerpts from Der Rosenkavalier at the Grand Teton Music Festival, under Donald Runnicles. Future engagements for the 2008-09 season currently include her return to the Metropolitan Opera to sing Second Norn in its production of Götterdämmerung, Ma Joad with Pittsburgh Opera, and Magdelene in a concert performance of Der Meistersinger with the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Ms. Bishop also appears as soloist in Messiah with the National Philharmonic, performs Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Portland Symphony Orchestra in Maine, and sings as soloist at the Arizona MusicFest.
Ms. Bishop's recent credits include her return to Washington National Opera as Fricka in Die Walküre, Adalgisa in Norma with Portland Opera, and her first performances of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Concert appearances included performances of the Verdi Requiem and Bach's Mass in B Minor with the National Philharmonic, Mozart's Mass in C Minor with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Winston-Salem Symphony. She also sang Emilia in Otello with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Saratoga Performing Arts Center under Charles Dutoit.
Operatic highlights from past seasons include her returns to the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa as Leonore in La favorite and to Washington Opera as Fricka in Das Rheingold; her first performances of Elizabeth in The Crucible with Mobile Opera; Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana in a return to Washington Concert Opera; her return to the Metropolitan Opera stage as Venus in Tannhäuser; Bersi and Madelon in Washington Opera's production of Andrea Chenier; Adalgisa in Norma with Pacific Opera Victoria and opera Memphis; Mère Marie in Dialogues des Carmélites with Deutsche Oper Berlin and Palm Beach Opera; Offred in the North American premiere of Poul Ruders's The Handmaid's Tale with Minnesota Opera; Waltraute in Götterdämmerung with Dallas Opera; Eboli in Don Carlo with Teatro Carlo Felice; and performances of Sara in Roberto Devereux and Gertrude in Hamlet with Washington Concert Opera.
Since her 1994 debut in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Death in Venice, Elizabeth Bishop has returned to the famed company in roles that also include Fenena in Nabucco and Mère Marie in Dialogues des Carmélites. With Washington National Opera, she has sung Eboli in Don Carlo, the leading role of the Marquise de Merteuil in Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, the Hostess in Wolf-Ferrari's Sly, and Emilia in Otello. A former participant in San Francisco Opera's prestigious Adler Fellowship and Merola Opera program, Elizabeth Bishop has returned to the War Memorial Opera House as Fenena in Nabucco, the Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, the Mother in Harvey Milk (a recording of which is available on Teldec), Antonia's Mother in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, and Emilie in the world premiere of The Dangerous Liasons (televised nationwide on PBS).
An accomplished concert singer, Ms. Bishop's performances include her engagements with the Philadelphia Orchestra as soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, also Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (available on the Telarc label). With the Los Angeles Philharmonic, she has sung Tippett's A Child of Our Time (Roger Norrington conducting) and the Ligeti Requiem (Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting). With the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra she has also sung Mozart's "Coronation" Mass, and Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder and Liebestod. She has been soloist with the National Philharmonic in the Mozart Requiem, the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Mahler's Symphony No. 8, the Washington Chorus for A Child of Our Time, and the Cathedral Choral Society for the Verdi Requiem. She has also sung Berlioz's Les Nuits d'été with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, further performances of Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder with the Malaysian Philharmonic (Donald Runnicles conducting), Mendelssohn's Lobgesang with the St. Louis Symphony, the Duruflé Requiem with the National Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Indianapolis Symphony, Messiah with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (Nicholas McGegan conducting), and Mozart's Requiem and Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Other engagements also include performances of Elijah with Louisville Symphony, Messiah and Bach's Magnificat with Phoenix Symphony, Verdi's Requiem with the Washington Chorus, and Bach's Magnificat with Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Bishop has also appeared in solo recitals in both San Francisco and Tokyo.
Elizabeth Bishop is a former member of the Juilliard Opera Center and a winner of the 1993 Metropolitan National Council Auditions.
In the 2007-08 season, Elizabeth Bishop sings Frau Marthe Rull in Der zerbrochene Krug, Third Zofe in Der Zwerg, and Grandmother Burjya in Jenufa, all with Los Angeles Opera. In concert, she sings as soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Atlanta Symphony under Robert Spano. She is also engaged by the Metropolitan Opera for their productions of War and Peace and Iphigenie en Tauride and sings the role of Ma Joad in a concert version of The Grapes of Wrath with the Los Angeles Masters Chorale. In summer of 2008 she sings as Octavian in concert in excerpts from Der Rosenkavalier at the Grand Teton Music Festival, under Donald Runnicles. Future engagements for the 2008-09 season currently include her return to the Metropolitan Opera to sing Second Norn in its production of Götterdämmerung, Ma Joad with Pittsburgh Opera, and Magdelene in a concert performance of Der Meistersinger with the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Ms. Bishop also appears as soloist in Messiah with the National Philharmonic, performs Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Portland Symphony Orchestra in Maine, and sings as soloist at the Arizona MusicFest.
Ms. Bishop's recent credits include her return to Washington National Opera as Fricka in Die Walküre, Adalgisa in Norma with Portland Opera, and her first performances of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Concert appearances included performances of the Verdi Requiem and Bach's Mass in B Minor with the National Philharmonic, Mozart's Mass in C Minor with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Winston-Salem Symphony. She also sang Emilia in Otello with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Saratoga Performing Arts Center under Charles Dutoit.
Operatic highlights from past seasons include her returns to the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa as Leonore in La favorite and to Washington Opera as Fricka in Das Rheingold; her first performances of Elizabeth in The Crucible with Mobile Opera; Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana in a return to Washington Concert Opera; her return to the Metropolitan Opera stage as Venus in Tannhäuser; Bersi and Madelon in Washington Opera's production of Andrea Chenier; Adalgisa in Norma with Pacific Opera Victoria and opera Memphis; Mère Marie in Dialogues des Carmélites with Deutsche Oper Berlin and Palm Beach Opera; Offred in the North American premiere of Poul Ruders's The Handmaid's Tale with Minnesota Opera; Waltraute in Götterdämmerung with Dallas Opera; Eboli in Don Carlo with Teatro Carlo Felice; and performances of Sara in Roberto Devereux and Gertrude in Hamlet with Washington Concert Opera.
Since her 1994 debut in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Death in Venice, Elizabeth Bishop has returned to the famed company in roles that also include Fenena in Nabucco and Mère Marie in Dialogues des Carmélites. With Washington National Opera, she has sung Eboli in Don Carlo, the leading role of the Marquise de Merteuil in Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, the Hostess in Wolf-Ferrari's Sly, and Emilia in Otello. A former participant in San Francisco Opera's prestigious Adler Fellowship and Merola Opera program, Elizabeth Bishop has returned to the War Memorial Opera House as Fenena in Nabucco, the Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, the Mother in Harvey Milk (a recording of which is available on Teldec), Antonia's Mother in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, and Emilie in the world premiere of The Dangerous Liasons (televised nationwide on PBS).
An accomplished concert singer, Ms. Bishop's performances include her engagements with the Philadelphia Orchestra as soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, also Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (available on the Telarc label). With the Los Angeles Philharmonic, she has sung Tippett's A Child of Our Time (Roger Norrington conducting) and the Ligeti Requiem (Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting). With the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra she has also sung Mozart's "Coronation" Mass, and Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder and Liebestod. She has been soloist with the National Philharmonic in the Mozart Requiem, the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Mahler's Symphony No. 8, the Washington Chorus for A Child of Our Time, and the Cathedral Choral Society for the Verdi Requiem. She has also sung Berlioz's Les Nuits d'été with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, further performances of Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder with the Malaysian Philharmonic (Donald Runnicles conducting), Mendelssohn's Lobgesang with the St. Louis Symphony, the Duruflé Requiem with the National Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Indianapolis Symphony, Messiah with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (Nicholas McGegan conducting), and Mozart's Requiem and Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Other engagements also include performances of Elijah with Louisville Symphony, Messiah and Bach's Magnificat with Phoenix Symphony, Verdi's Requiem with the Washington Chorus, and Bach's Magnificat with Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Bishop has also appeared in solo recitals in both San Francisco and Tokyo.
Elizabeth Bishop is a former member of the Juilliard Opera Center and a winner of the 1993 Metropolitan National Council Auditions.
