About this Artist
When ELIZABETH DeSHONG (Ariel) took on the title role in La Cenerentola at the Glyndebourne Festival, The Guardian wrote, “this is, quite simply, one of the great operatic performances. It is dominated by DeShong, whose voice combines a contralto opulence with blazing top notes and some of the most staggering coloratura you will ever hear…”
DeShong’s 2018/19 concert performances include a tour of Europe and the U.S. with The English Concert singing the role of Juno in Handel’s Semele; a solo recital for Vocal Arts DC at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, with pianist Mark Markham; John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary with the composer leading the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; Adalgisa in Norma in concert with the North Carolina Opera; and Handel’s Messiah with the San Francisco Symphony and the Houston Symphony. Operatic engagements include her first performances of Sesto in La clemenza di Tito with the LA Opera and the title role in Handel’s Rinaldo at the Glyndebourne Festival.
Last season, Elizabeth DeShong performed the role of Arsace in Rossini’s Semiramide at the Metropolitan Opera, which was broadcast live in HD to cinemas worldwide. She also sang Ruggiero in Handel’s Alcina with Washington National Opera and returned to Glyndebourne as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. On the concert stage, she was heard as soloist in Schubert’s Mass No. 6, as well as in a new commission entitled Three Lisel Mueller Settings by Maxwell Raimi with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by Riccardo Muti. She performed Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 (“Jeremiah”) with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra and Antonio Pappano in Riga and London, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Music of the Baroque in Chicago.
DeShong debuted in 2016/17 with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Bayerische Staatsoper as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, and she returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago as Adalgisa in Norma. In concert, she performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Baltimore Symphony, Verdi’s Requiem with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”) with the Oregon Symphony.