Kicking off my fall 2024 season...

Greetings! I’m writing to share information about upcoming performances and some highlights from a very fun summer that kicked off with Handel’s La Resurrezione under the superb direction of Maestro Christian Curnyn with Haymarket Opera and continued with a residency at Avaloch Farm with violinist Shelby Yamin and performances in Kansas City, Saugatuck, and Stockholm!

From John von Rhein’s review of our La Resurrezione:
“It was hard to imagine anyone delivering a more deeply affecting account of her taxing role than what De Priest offered on this occasion. Her bright, ideally focused sound, allied to a probing expressive intelligence, served Mary’s sorrowful outpourings as beautifully as it illuminated her “sleep” aria later on…”

After a summer spent mostly apart, it was a special treat to travel to Stockholm with my husband Michael, who tagged along as I performed at Confidencen, one of two beautifully-preserved baroque theaters in the city. In between rehearsals and shows, we went for long hikes, attended concerts, indulged at vegan smörgåsbords, embraced sauna culture, and luxuriated in the (heated) hotel pool…

My 2024-25 Season officially kicked off this past weekend, with two very different and rewarding recitals with the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago. I was honored to join Artistic Director and tenor Nicholas Phan for a recital of Renaissance lute songs. Then on Saturday, it was a huge pleasure to explore 20th and 21st century art songs inspired by Shakespeare with brilliant pianist Brent Funderburk.

The next few months are really busy and exciting for me. First, I’m heading to Houston to perform Bach’s cantata 84 and excerpts from Johann Adolf Hasse’s Marc’ Antonio e Cleopatra with Ars Lyrica Houston and star countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen. Right after, I’ll head east to Atlanta to perform more Bach, (including his charming Wedding Cantata!) with Atlanta Baroque Orchestra. Singing my first Dido with them last season was such a highlight, I’m thrilled to work with Director Julie Andrijeski and her wonderful musicians again so soon!

In October, I head to Cleveland to work with Debra Nagy and Les Délices on Arcadian Dreams, a beautiful program of dramatic Italian and French Baroque works. We’ll perform the concert twice (including as part of Early Music America’s Summit!!) before recording the project as my debut solo album. Ooff, it’s surreal to even type those words!

“Performing with Les Délices is always an immense pleasure. Our friendship goes back to my student days, so Debra really knows my voice and how it’s developed better than virtually anyone else. I’m so inspired by Debra’s sensitive, refined playing, and her programs are always so creative and well-designed. I can’t imagine a better team to make my debut solo album with!”

As for what’s to come in the New Year… my 2025 will kick off with a family trip to Finland (fingers crossed we’ll see the Northern Lights!!) and three very special chamber music programs with friends in Chicago. In May I’ll reprise a favorite role (Dido in Dido & Aeneas) in a production by Bella Voce before heading back to Boston for the Boston Early Music Festival! I can’t share more just yet, but I am over the moon that my relationship with this remarkable company is set to deepen significantly in 2025…

As always, thanks for following along! I hope I’ll see you on the road!

xo,

Hannah De Priest

Summer 2024 Singing Adventures

Good morning! It’s been a while since I’ve shared an update - a lot has happened since January. My spring took an amazing turn - I competed in the prestigious London Handel Competition, reaching the semifinal and then the final round! Singing at the historic St. George’s Hanover Square with a terrific baroque orchestra under the direction of Maestro Laurence Cummings was surreal and inspiring. (You can watch my final round performance at this link, starting at 16:07)

While I didn’t win a prize, I was blown away by the response to my singing. I made some great new connections in London and beyond, and felt so supported by my network of family and friends here in the States. In the aftermath, I felt a newfound clarity about the kind of art I want to make and the artist I hope to become.

And so I’m excited to share that this June, I will be performing a big, beautiful Handel role: Mary Maddalena in Handel’s La Resurrezione. Mary goes from mourning the death of Jesus to pure, ecstatic joy at his resurrection. The music is incredible, with these wild swings between sorrow, hope, and ultimately awe. If you’re in Chicago, I hope to see you at the performance on June 14th with Haymarket Opera!

Summer plans

After La Resurrezione, I’ll head to New Hampshire for an idyllic week at Avaloch Farms Music Institute with violinist Shelby Yamin. Together, we’re exploring music for soprano and violin that will form the basis for years(!) of collaborations to come.

In July, I’ll head home to Missouri to sing a concert of Handel and Vivaldi arias with the Kansas City Baroque Consortium. I cherish every chance to see my parents and perform for a hometown crowd. I’m really looking forward to it! More info here.

In early August, I’m delighted to join harpsichordist Gregory Crowell, cellist Pablo Mahave-Veglia, and violinist Liliana Mahave in beautiful Michigan for two concerts with the Saugatuck Chamber Music Festival.

Next in August, the trip of a lifetime to Stockholm!! For ten blissful days, I’ll be attending the Confidencen Opera & Music Festival to rehearse, audition, perform, and work intensively with the iconic mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg and Artistic Director Peter Spissky at the stunning Ulriksdal Palace Theatre Confidencen.

Throughout all of this, I’ll also be preparing for a rather busy early fall, which will include the recording of my debut solo album and tour with Les Délices, my debut with Ars Lyrica Houston, and a return engagement with Atlanta Baroque Orchestra. So much to look forward to!!

Thanks for reading,
Hannah De Priest

Songs stuck in my head ~

  1. Asmik Grigorian’s unparalleled Madama Butterfly. Perhaps the most naturalistic, authentic portrayal of any opera role I’ve ever witnessed.

  2. Rebecca Clarke’s “As I was goin’ to Ballynure” This is one of the songs Shelby and I will bring to Avaloch. I am fully obsessed with Rebecca Clarke and these violin and soprano songs she wrote are treasures!

  3. My friend Karin Weston’s exquisite Medieval melodies. Karin is a dear friend from grad school. Now she lives in Europe and has a blossoming career in Medieval singing. One of the highlights of my spring was getting to hear her perform live for the first time in way too long. She is an incredible artist - I am in awe!

Looking Back/Looking Forward to 2024

I’m traveling back home to Chicago today after ringing in the New Year on the ski slopes with my family. I was breaking in a new ski suit, intermittently braving the moguls, and enjoying my favorite après treat in regular intervals: half hot cocoa, half coffee. It felt great to unwind and get away after an intense and rewarding stretch of work. When I get home, I’ll start earnest preparations for some real bucket-list singing projects coming up in early 2024, including:

It’s funny to think back to this time last year, how little of what happened for me professionally in 2023 I could've predicted! I’m sure that’s true for the New Year too, but there’s one very, very big thing that I know is coming: I’ll be recording my debut solo album this fall!!! This is a very exciting milestone for me and I can’t wait to tell you more about it soon:)

Highlights of 2023: debuts, jump-ins, making music with friends:

  • Gobs of fantastic chamber music with my dear friends at Ars Musica Chicago, including a recital a concert in honor of Bach’s birthday in March; a memorable summer concert with my dear friend, violinist Shelby Yamin on Chicago’s Rush Hour series; a relaxed, cheery performance at the Bach Week Festival gala; and a trip over to Michigan to perform on Michigan State University’s concert series.

  • I made my “winning” Kennedy Center debut with Opera Lafayette as Serpina in La servante maȋtresse

  • The Boston Globe named me the “breakout artist” of the Boston Early Music Festival. I performed in the two operas (Circé and Alcina), and as a soloist in Les Délices’ mainstage concert and with the BEMF orchestra in the Opening Night Concert, and covered the title role of Circé. Altogether, it made for the most challenging and rewarding stretch of my career to date.

  • I made my Haymarket Opera debut in my second production of Francesca Caccini’s Alcina of the season

  • I wrote about my jump-in experience for Early Music America, then just a couple months later…

  • Another jump-in with Boston Early Music Festival!! I was called a week before rehearsals began to jump in as Mauxalinda in The Dragon of Wantley. After an intense rehearsal period, we did four performances in Boston, Miami, and upstate New York. What a rush!!

  • Closer to home, I had a wonderful time performing with Elgin Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Andrew Lewis for Beethoven’s Mass in C and Margaret Bonds’ searing Credo.

    Thanks so much for reading! I’m very grateful for your support and interest in my singing career. Wishing you all the best for a wonderful start to your New Year.

    Best wishes,

    Hannah De Priest

My fall/winter 2023 season

Fall: it is my favorite time of year (bouquet of sharpened pencils, anyone?) and along with the gusts of cool air, crisp apples, and ubiquitous pumpkin spice flavored everything comes the parade of carefully formatted season announcements…

I am a bit late to the party, but I’m anticipating a busy and exciting fall and winter season that will include recitals, oratorios, a big competition, and my role debut as Dido in Dido & Aeneas with Atlanta Baroque Orchestra.

My season kicked off last weekend with my debut in Haymarket Opera’s production of Francesca Caccini’s Alcina, which I previously performed with Boston Early Music Festival just this past June! It was so fun to dive back into this great mini-opera with a different cast and director. And what a treat to do opera in the city where I live!!

After my experience in Boston, Early Music America Magazine invited me to write a column about my time as a company artist. It was a thrill to see my name printed as a byline for the first time! The piece was recently published online and you can read it at this link.

On the recital side, I’m looking forward to singing with harpsichordist Jason Moy and lutenist Brandon Acker at the Bach Week Festival Gala on October 8th — a sommelier will pair wines to our musical selections! (We’ll see if he takes my suggestion to pair Barbara Strozzi with lambrusco:) In November, we’ll head to Michigan State University with violinist Adriane Post and cellist Anna Steinhoff for a far-reaching recital on the Taylor Johnston Early Music Series.

In concert, I’ll be performing Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light requiem with The Bach Society of St. Louis later this month. Believe it or not, that will be only the second time I’ve ever sung professionally in my home state of Missouri!! I’m also looking forward to singing Beethoven’s Mass in C Major and Margaret Bonds’ Credo with the Elgin Symphony. I’ll also sing as a soloist and ensemble member in Bella Voce’s annual Messiah.

Like most young singers, I have mixed feelings about competitions. For me, they have been the source of some remarkable trips and performance experiences, especially at the Corneille Competition and my win at the Cesti Competition. When I found out about a competition in Italy focused on 17th century repertoire, I knew it would be a great opportunity to push myself further into the language and style than I’ve previously gone. So! I’m enjoying preparing for first-ever Cavalli-Monteverdi Competition and will be traveling to Cremona at the end of October. Wish me luck!

In February, I’ll make my role and company debut with Atlanta Baroque Orchestra for Dido & Aeneas. This is one of my dream projects and I am especially excited that this fully-staged production will feature lots of dance!! Artistic Director Julie Andrijeski was one of my early mentors in this field - it’s always a pinch-me moment to collaborate with her as a colleague. I previously sang the role of Belinda, (Dido’s confidante), and I’m so happy that my voice has developed to add Dido to my repertoire.

I’m exploring lots of glorious and varied music right now but am also enjoying time at home after a whirlwind summer, with lots of long walks with the dog and curling up on the couch with spy thrillers. Michael and I are looking forward to a family-filled trip back home for Thanksgiving and we’ll ring in 2024 on the ski slopes in Utah — I’m hunting for a flashy snowsuit in the meantime!!

There’s a lot to look forward to in the spring, including (as ever) just a few things I can’t quite talk about yet…! Thank you for following my career updates here. You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn;)

Looking Back on an Unforgettable Boston Early Music Festival...

About a month before I was due to travel to Boston to join the Boston Early Music Festival for its run of operas and two concerts, news came that the centerpiece opera’s star had withdrawn. On a hasty phone call with the Festival’s leadership, I found out Karina Gauvin would be stepping in, but she’d need a cover to sing the title role while she dipped in and out for other gigs during the production period. So… could I do it? Could I learn Circé and be in Boston in 2 weeks to start staging rehearsals on Karina’s behalf? I’d already said yes and hung up before I started to understand what exactly I’d agreed to do (classic). I hastily dug out the score and started marking the part - it was massive. As I highlighted pages and pages of recitative, (“does she ever shut up?!” I muttered to myself), I felt a wave of anxiety building inside me. After a cheeky midday panic attack and a stern pep talk from my husband, I knew what I needed: a massive number of gel pens.

Every time I learn a part, I do the same thing: divide role into equal chunks, use gel pens to create color-coded checklist, assign self deadline for each chunk, follow through. Normally I give myself 3-5 weeks to learn and memorize a role. This time, I gave myself 7 days, (then 7 more days to try to make it all, you know, sound good.)

I arrived in Boston about 2 weeks later with a mental state best described as French baroque zombie. I definitely hadn’t memorized the role, but I had fallen in love with it and I was so excited to be one of the handful of people who got to be part of the production from day one.

A few days in, I was doing Acts I & II from memory. We got quite a lot done! After all the stress of my solitary cramming, being in the rehearsal room with the rest of the cast and the *incredible* music staff felt like playtime. After the first week, Karina Gauvin took over the role and I was off to New York City to remount and perform La servante maitrêsse with Opera Lafayette in a whirlwind 48 hours!!

Long story short: the rest of the production period included a trip to Cleveland to rehearse with Les Délices and an unexpected week of singing Circé room runs while Karina battled the flu, all while concurrently rehearsing Alcina and the Festival’s opening night concert. The Festival itself was a whirlwind of performances I genuinely felt great about, including the two mainstage concerts that garnered this great review in the Boston Globe:

“The night’s breakout artist was unmistakably soprano Hannah De Priest… Her pearlescent phrases as the Nymph of the Seine in the ‘Circé’ prologue prompted me to add ‘Woman Scorned’ by Les Délices to my festival agenda. There, too, she was magnetic, driving 18th-century composer François Colin de Blamont’s own ‘Circé’ cantata with dramatic poise and shimmering, subtle ornamentations that entwined with founder Debra Nagy’s oboe and recorder… I confess I’ve never found it easy to connect with French Baroque music… but not when De Priest is singing.”

It really was a wild and wonderful six weeks, and here’s the upshot: I fall more in love with French baroque music every day. Singing this repertoire with the world class musicians in the BEMF Orchestra and Les Délices made this Festival one of the most exhilarating professional experiences I’ve had to date. I recently came across this pearl of wisdom: “fear is a yield, not a stop sign.” It’s true!! I’m so glad I pushed through the feelings of inadequacy and panic that gripped me at the beginning of all this. I’ve grown so much as an artist over these past weeks and I wouldn’t trade even the most stressful memories for anything. Note to future self: a lot can get done in two weeks. Gel pens at the ready!

New Spring 2023 Performance Dates

Thank you for the supportive response to the first edition of this newsletter! This is my second post and I’m happy to share four exciting additions to my upcoming schedule. If you’re in Chicago, New York, or Boston, I hope I’ll see you at one of these newly-announced performances:)

I’m writing from my hotel room in Washington D.C. where I’m currently rehearsing for my Kennedy Center debut(!) with Opera Lafayette on February 2nd. We’re working on a French language version of Pergolesi’s comic opera La Serva padrona, (La servante maîtresse in French). My character, Zerbine, runs circles around her male stage companions, figuratively and literally. She is ambitious, cheekily optimistic, and fiendishly manipulative. Needless to say, I’m having so much fun with her! We have a fantastic team, including conductor Patrick Dupré Quigle, director Nick Olcott, and castmates Jonathan Woody and Patrick Kilbride. (We’ll perform the show again in NYC on May 11th at El Museo del Barrio.)

Now for the new dates! On February 7th, I’ll join fantastic harpsichordist Aya Hamada for a special donor event for Opera Lafayette in New York City, performing excerpts from La servante maîtresse and favorite Handel arias. If you’re an NYC-er, you can learn more about this exclusive event by contacting OL.

On March 24th (between rehearsals for St. Matthew Passion with Music of the Baroque) I’m thrilled to perform with my dear friends at Ars Musica Chicago for our annual show inspired by Bach’s famed coffeehouse concerts. This informal performance will feature music by Handel, Vivaldi, Couperin, Telemann, and Bach and will include refreshments and a curated selection of teas from Chicago Teahouse.

On April 30th, I’ll join harpsichordist Jason Moy, violinist Adriane Post, cellist Anna Steinhoff, and lutenist Brandon Acker for a varied chamber recital under the auspices of the Bach Week Festival at All Saints Episcopal Church.

Then on June 6th at 5:00 pm, I will make my Boston Early Music Festival concert debut with Les Délices, performing French baroque cantatas on an evocative program entitled Woman Scorned. I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in Boston’s historic Jordan Hall alongside mentors-turned-colleagues/friends including Debra Nagy and Julie Andrijeski. I’ll also be performing in both of BEMF’s opera productions this summer!

In addition to these new dates, I’m looking forward to my previously-announced concerts of the 2022-23 season. Between all the upcoming practicing, rehearsing, and traveling, I’m happy I’ll also have some time at home with my husband Michael and our rescue pup, Teddy. I miss them quite a bit while I’m on the road, but I’m so grateful to have such an incredibly supportive family and network of friends around the country and beyond. Thanks so much for reading!

2022 in Review

Welcome to a new venture of mine - an email newsletter! As 2022 draws to a close, I’m anticipating a slew of passion projects and debuts in early 2023 while also reflecting on the varied and fulfilling opportunities of the past year.

The most consequential, exciting thing that happened this year was marrying Michael. We got engaged during the pandemic and it was so wonderful to finally gather together with friends and family in September to mark the start of this new chapter in our lives.

Early 2022 brought two special opportunities to perform Bach’s Johannes-Passion, with Maestro Stephen Alltop and the Elmhurst Symphony & Apollo Chorus, and with Maestro Rossen Milanov and the Columbus Symphony. The two soprano arias bookend the drama and it was a pleasure to sing them with two stellar ensembles.

With fellow soloists and Mo. Milanov backstage at Columbus Symphony

I also performed as a finalist in two important Chicago singing competitions hosted by The Musicians Club of Women and the Luminarts Cultural Foundation. I was honored to win the Luminarts Encouragement Award in early March, performing in the final round with Michael accompanying me on piano.

2022 brought many gratifying opportunities for Michael and I to further develop as a duo, including an inspiring residency with the Cleveland Art Song Institute in early May. In the fall, we created a recital of Beethoven and Mozart inspired by Classical-Era soprano Josepha Duschek and toured it to upstate New York under the aegis of Pegasus Rising, Cornell University, and NYS Baroque. (Many thanks to Deb Fox for believing in this project and supporting us every step of the way!) And we were thrilled to perform a lush program of favorite Romantic art songs on the Sacred Sounds Series earlier this month.

L to R: After a recital in Cleveland; smiles during rehearsal; after our recital at Cornell Uni; soundcheck in Grand Rapids

After winning the 2nd Prize at the 2021 Cesti Competition for Baroque Opera, I was invited back to the Innsbruck Festival for Early Music to sing Gilde in Carlo Pallavacino’s L’amazzone corsara in August - my European debut! It was a surreal to spend six weeks in beautiful Innsbruck, teasing out the comical and musical details of this long-neglected early baroque opera. It was really special to work on an Italian opera with a production and musical team full of (very patient, very kind) Italian musicians - I learned so much and sincerely hope that my career will take me back to Europe soon.

With castmates on Opening Night (as you can see, Gilde is a maximalist!!)

Most recently, I was thrilled to sing my first full Messiah as a soloist. The Apollo Chorus has performed Messiah annually for over 140 years, and I was deeply touched to join them for two performances at Millennium Park’s Harris Theater. After that, I flew to Montana to perform the work again with the Billings Symphony - another heartwarming musical experience and my last gig of 2022! It is exceptionally difficult for an unmanaged soprano to get looped into the Messiah “circuit” and I sincerely hope that I will have more opportunities to perform this very meaningful work in future seasons. You can hear me singing “Rejoice Greatly” from my December performance with Bella Voce here!

Taking a bow with Apollo Chorus, fellow soloists, and Mo. Stephen Alltop

In the first part of the New Year, I’ll debut with Opera Lafayette, sing Bach’s overwhelming masterwork St. Matthew Passion with Music of the Baroque, give recitals with Ars Musica Chicago, and Bach Week Festival, and perform in two productions with Boston Early Music Festival. There are also one or two things I’m very excited about but can’t quite talk about yet… If you’ve read this far, thanks so much! I’m happy to have this new way to stay in touch and share updates. If you’d prefer to follow me through social media, you can find me on Facebook and Instagram. You can find a complete list of my upcoming engagements on my website.

Wishing you and your loved ones a fun and festive holiday season!

Thank you for your support,

Hannah

MESSIAH with Apollo Chorus & Orchestra:
”De Priest was a standout, singing with bright tone and sunny spirit in her solo arias. She gave elevated expression to ‘Rejoice greatly’ and brought an apt air of spiritual reflection to ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth.’” - Chicago Classical Review

MADAMA EUROPA with The Newberry Consort:
“From the first notes she sang, De Priest immediately distinguished herself with her versatility of vocal color, dramatic engagement, and textual clarity, even in ensemble pieces. Her consistent resonance, even when singing without vibrato, ensured she could always be heard no matter the tessitura or instrumentation. De Priest particularly wowed in a short snippet from Monteverdi’s famous “Lamento d’Arianna,” heightening the drama by tactfully deploying a seamless chest voice mix and stylish ornaments.” - Chicago Classical Review

GILDE in L’amazzone corsara at the Innsbruck Early Music Festival:
“Just the right comic verve… a large and well-handled voice.” - Opera Teatro
“Brilliant and easy vocalism” - Olyrix
“Played with great prowess” - onlinemerkur.de
“A glittering, easy soprano with the capacity for rich, sensitive colors.” - merkur.de

SOPRANO SOLOIST, JOHANNES-PASSION with Apollo Chorus:
“Soprano soloist Hannah De Priest was a vocal standout, delivering her two arias with poise and a gleaming tone. De Priest navigated the tricky chromaticism and quick breaths of ‘Ich folge dir gleichfalls’ with ease and demonstrated impressive dynamic control in ‘Zerfließe, mein Herze’ with tasteful messe di voce and straight tone effects.” - Chicago Classical Review