(Posted September 21, 2000)

Considered a versatile artist and acclaimed by Bernard Holland in The New York Times for "the beauty of her voice," American mezzo-soprano Mary Phillips has appeared in operatic works by composers ranging from Rossini to Wagner. Phillips will be sharing her widely acclaimed voice with Juniata College and the Huntingdon community in the second performance of the Artist Series at 8:15 p.m., Sept. 30 in Oller Hall.

Phillips boasts an impressive list of performances. She debuted with the New York Philharmonic this past season where she performed the world premiere of Michael Torke?s Four Seasons and Aaron Kernis? Garden of Light under the musical direction of Kurt Masur. Among her many other engagements are a recent performance of Mahler Symphony No. 8 with the Springfield Symphony conducted by Apo Hsu and Mahler Symphony No. 3 with the Ann Arbor Symphony conducted by Sam Wong. Conducted by Leon Botstein, Phillips also appeared in a concert-version of Die Liebe der Danae with the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall last season in which the performance was recorded for commercial release. This season Phillips will perform as mezzo-soprano soloist in the Messiah with the Phoenix Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, where she will also perform Mahler Symphony No. 2.

The influence of music in Phillips? life radiates through her studies and achievements. She holds bachelor?s degrees in both music and theater from Rhode Island College and a master?s degree in music from Yale University. At Yale she was supported by both the Bass Scholarship and the Yale University Music Scholarship. Phillips is also the recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center National Acting Award, the first winner of the 1997 Rehfus Singing Actors Tournament (sponsored by the Orlando Opera), the eastern regional winner of the 1994 Metropolitan Opera Auditions, the 1992 Woolsey Concerto Competition at Yale University, and the 1989 Bel Canto Foundation Of Chicago Competition winner.

Phillips currently resides in New York with her husband, baritone Philip Cutlip, and their son Max.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.