Mezzo-Soprano Jo Rodenburg’s affinity for German song literature was showcased in Germany, where critics have described her voice as “warm, lustrous and heart-rendingly beautiful” during her concert tour featuring songs of Richard Strauss and Johannes Brahms.
Ms. Rodenburg appeared as Eduige in the Handel Week Festival production of Rodelinda, which was warmly praised by the Chicago Tribune with her singing characterized by its “big, dark, alto-ish mezzo.”
Ms. Rodenburg was the featured soloist along with David Byrne for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s premiere performance of “The Forest” by composer David Byrne, the former lead man of the band Talking Heads, as well as alto soloist under conductors Sir Georg Solti, James Levine, and Margaret Hillis in works of Berlioz, Verdi, Corigliano, and Pergolesi. Ms. Rodenburg has appeared in performances with Chicago Opera Theater, Light Opera Works of Chicago, Pamiro Opera, Union Avenue Opera of Saint Louis, and Chamber Opera Chicago. She lists among her operatic credits the roles of Carmen, Prince Orlofsky, Dorabella, and Charlotte.
Ms. Rodenburg is in demand on the concert stage. Her repertoire includes numerous oratorios and cantatas of Handel, J.S. Bach, Mozart, and Haydn as well as Elgar’s Sea-Pictures, Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn, and Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky, a performance that the Dubuque Herald described as “Phenomenal . . . gorgeous and bravely edged.”
She is a member of the Juliani Chamber Ensemble, a group comprising musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera Orchestra and musicians who also teach at Northwestern University and University of Chicago. Ms. Rodenburg enjoys her work training young professional and emerging operatic talent at her downtown Chicago studio.
This is Ms. Rodenburg’s sixth season at the helm of the Grande Prairie Singers as artistic director.