ANGEL BLUE soprano bio
CATHERINE MILLER pianist bio

Dayton Opera is thrilled to celebrate its 60th Anniversary with an Opera Star Recital featuring the sensational soprano, Angel Blue. This recital will also celebrate a special 25th anniversary of Artistic Director Thomas Bankston’s leadership of Dayton Opera.

Acclaimed for the beauty of her voice and her stunning stage presence, Angel Blue is quickly rising to the top of her profession. This versatile soprano has been described as “the next Leontyne Price,” and critics speak enthusiastically of her shining, agile upper register and “smoky” middle register.

An opera star in high demand worldwide, Angel Blue has performed in over 35 countries in the last six years, including appearances with the Berlin Philharmonic, Israeli Philharmonic, Teatro alla Scala, Vienna Stadtsoper, Dresden Semperoper, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and San Francisco Opera. Ms. Blue made her Royal Albert Hall debut as a featured guest at the “Classic FM Live” concert in April 2015. She is a regular host/presenter for the BBC Proms and appears frequently on BBC television. Last season, she performed the lead role of Bess in the critically acclaimed and Grammy Award-winning production of the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess at The Metropolitan Opera.

In addition to her opera roles, Angel Blue has performed everything from jazz to Strauss’s Four Last Songs, Mahler’s Symphony No 2, and Verdi’s Requiem, as well as concerts with Alfie Boe, Andrea Bocelli, and Grammy Award–winning “hit-man” David Foster. The soprano is adept at crossover performances and has won acclaim for her Zarzuela. Her recent opera schedule includes both Mimi and Musetta at the Metropolitan Opera and an upcoming Violetta at the Royal Opera House, London.

Dayton has the great fortune of hearing Angel Blue in the sonic splendor of our own Schuster Center this month. In fact, this concert marks Angel Blue’s return to the stage in front of a live audience, the first such appearance since the start of the pandemic last March. Her recital will showcase wide-ranging repertoire from composers of opera and song literature, including European composers R. Strauss, Marx, and Puccini, and American composer Hoiby, as well as African American spirituals arranged by composers including Margaret Bonds, H.T. Burleigh, Hall Johnson, and Florence Price.

Collaborating with Ms. Blue will be pianist Catherine Miller. Ms. Miller is a member of the music staff at San Diego Opera, the Musical Director for the Mentoris Vocal Competition, and an active recitalist with classical singers. Recent appearances with soprano Angel Blue have included recitals at the Ravinia Music Festival and for the Vocal Arts DC recital series at the Kennedy Center. Additionally, she has worked with Opera Santa Barbara, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Pacific, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, Chile, and for the Spoleto Festival in Italy.

This Opera Star Recital promises to be a very special occasion at the Schuster Center to celebrate 60 years of Dayton Opera and 25 years with Artistic Director Thomas Bankston at the helm. Dayton Opera is thrilled to welcome to the stage Angel Blue for this truly memorable occasion!

For the Program Page, click here.

For Texts and Translations, click here.