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Kara Cornell, Mezzo-soprano                                      

 

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Opera and musical theater

 

Kara is primarily a stage performer with a flair

for comedy. Her expressive portrayal of roles

have hailed her “a consummate actress” and a

singer with “an infectious enthusiasm”. Recent

operatic roles include “Cherubino” in Le nozze

di Figaro, “Dorabella” in Cosi fan tutte,

“Rosina” in Il barbiere di Siviglia, “Jo” in Little

Women and the title role in Carmen. Musical

theater roles include “Cinderella” in Into the

Woods, “Catherine” in Pippin and “Eliza

Doolittle” in My Fair Lady. Many of her roles

have been performed with full orchestra.

 

Kara has been featured in staged productions

with numerous professional companies,

including leading roles with Hubbard Hall

Opera Theater (Cambridge, NY), Center City

Opera (Philadelphia), Union Avenue Opera 

(St. Louis), Capital Opera (Albany, NY),

St. Petersburg Opera (Florida) and as a

repeated guest artist with Stony Brook Opera (Long Island).

 

 

Contemporary Music

 

Kara’s passion for contemporary music has led her to exciting new projects!

Kara enjoys collaborating with composers, and has sung numerous world

premiere operas, song cycles and orchestra pieces, including

Sacred Songs and Interludes, an oratorio written by Nancy Galbraith.

Contemporary operatic roles include “Miss Jessel” in Turn of the Screw by

Benjamin Britten, “May” in Footfalls by Earl Kim and “Jo” in Little Women by

Mark Adamo. In December 2008, Kara premiered songs inspired by

Emily Dickinson; collaborating with established composers, including composer

and pianist Jane Leslie. The pair immediately hit it off, and have collaborated

in numerous concerts throughout the New York area.

 

 

Jazz and Pop

 

Kara considers herself a diverse opera singer, as she can also perform other

types of music. Perhaps it’s because her 92 year old Grandfather is a jazz pianist, but she often performs works by Gershwin, Porter and Hoagy Carmichael. Kara is also a member of “Venus”, a diverse four woman singing group that travels the globe, performing repertoire ranging from operatic-pop to Chinese folk song.  (Kara and Grandpa courtesy of Peter Sanchirico)

 

 

Oratorio and Sacred Music

 

Kara enjoys performing oratorio and sacred works. She has performed the alto solos in many fully-orchestrated oratorios, including Handel’s Messiah, Judas Maccabaeus and The Utrecht Te Deum, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Honegger’s King David and Bach’s Chistmas Oratorio and St. John’s Passion. Kara has had the privilege to work most notably with The United States Naval Academy, The Pittsburgh Camerata, Aoede Music Consort, Williamstown Early Music, The Brooklyn Philharmonic, Burnt Hills Oratorio Society and Albany Pro Musica.

 

 

Education

 

A graduate of Smithtown High School (New York), Kara earned her bachelors degree, with college and university honors, from Carnegie Mellon University. She earned her masters degree from Stony Brook University. Both degrees are in vocal and music performance.

 

 

Awards

 

Kara has won several vocal awards, including “The Phyllis Bryn-Julson Award” through The Civic Morning Musicals Competition, and the 5 Towns Scholarship Competition Award. During college, Kara was awarded the “Award and Scholarship for Vocal Excellence” three years in a row. In 2009 and 2010, Kara received a “strategic opportunity stipend” through the New York Foundation for the Arts for the purpose of opera role study.

 

 

Teaching

 

In addition to being a performer, Kara also prides herself in being a dedicated

voice teacher. Kara has been teaching voice since 2002, and is currently an

adjunct professor of voice in the musical theater department at Russell Sage

College in Troy, NY. She also continues to teach privately from her home in

Albany County, NY. Kara teaches her students to eradicate tension in the body

while singing, and encourages an organic and free production of the voice.

This technique has allowed her students to be well-rounded, as she is, so they

can perform all types of music without strain. Kara also teaches students how

to manage performance fear and acting through music.

 

 

Hobbies

 

If you can believe it, Kara was not particularly interested in singing until she was

15 years old. As a painfully shy and sensitive child, Kara spent much of her time

alone her with pets and her arts-and-crafts. She also felt a strong pull to help

others. Though singing has become her biggest passion in life, Kara continues to

foster these hobbies. Kara enjoys making jewelry and crocheting hats and scarves

for The Children at Little Flower Children’s Services in NY. In 2005 she and her

now husband walked 40 miles in The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and raised

over $6,000. Jokingly known as the “cat whisperer” at a NY animal shelter,

Kara domesticated over 30 feral cats who were then adopted by loving families.

Kara feels strongly about supporting the local blood bank and donates platelets

and blood to the New York Blood Bank every 2-3 months. Last but not least,

Kara’s interest in energy healing led her to become a Reiki Master.