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Kara
Cornell, Mezzo-soprano
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Opera and Musical Theater
Kara has
portrayed numerous roles in the opera and musical theater genre. Operatic roles
include “Cherubino” in Le nozze di Figaro, “Dorabella” in Cosi fan tutte,
“Sesto” in La Clemenza di Tito,
“Mercedes” in Carmen and “Jo” in Little Women.
Musical
theater roles include “The Mother Abbess” in The Sound of Music, “Marie” in
The Most Happy Fella,
“Catherine” in Pippin and “Eliza
Doolittle” in My Fair Lady.
Kara has
been featured in staged productions with numerous professional companies,
including
Hubbard Hall Opera Theater (
Capital Opera (
Kara is
currently a member of “Venus”, a diverse four woman singing group that travels
the globe,
performing repertoire ranging from opera to Chinese folk song.
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 will premiere
art songs inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson.
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
Honegger’s King David and Musikalische Exequien by Schütz. Kara has
had the privilege to work most notably
with The
The Brooklyn Philharmonic, Octavo Singers and in April
2009 with Albany
Pro Musica.
Education
A graduate of
with college and university honors, from
from Stony Brook University. Both degrees are in vocal and music
performance.
Teachers, coaches and
conductors
Kara currently studies with Irene Gubrud and
coaches with pianist Michael Clement.
Her previous teachers have been Elaine Bonazzi, Mimi Lerner and Mildred Miller.
She has had the privilege to work with
conductors Dr. Robert Page, Arthur Haas, David Griggs-Janower,
George Moross,
Andrew Kurtz, Dr. David Lawton, Rebecca Rollett,
Timothy Long, Timothy Mount,
Richard Giarusso,
Michael Musial and Scott Schoonover.
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, and also won numerous awards through NATS.
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
privately from here home in
technique in all of her students, who range from beginners to
professionals in all musical genres.
Hobbies
When Kara is
not singing, she enjoys spending her time helping others.
She is a
speed crocheter, donating over 500 hats and scarves
for
She is a
marathon walker, walking 40 miles and raising over $2,000 for The Avon Walk for
Breast Cancer in 2005.
She is a cat
tamer, fostering and domesticating over 30 feral cats who were then adopted by
loving families.
She is a
platelet donor, donating platelets and blood to the New York Blood Bank every
2-3 months.
Kara is an
energy healer, working with clients as a Reiki Master.