Noted Soprano Gives Recital

Soprano Amy S. Johnson ’85, one of America's finest singing actresses, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, in Herrick Chapel.

Her free public recital will feature Korngold's virtuosic "Songs of the Clown," and include works by Beethoven, Charpentier, and Wagner. She will be accompanied by pianist Donna Hallen Loewy, the accompanist-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. A native of Iowa, Johnson is assistant professor of voice at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Johnson has performed with opera companies across the country, including the New York City Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Portland Opera, Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, and the Austin Lyric Opera, among others. Johnson's acclaimed portrayal of Salome aired over Iowa Public Television in a vivid production by Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre.

Johnson also has performed abroad with the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp, Belgium, and at the Spier Festival in South Africa and festival Musica e Musica in Italy. She recorded her first solo CD, "Amy Johnson - Red, White and Blue: Arias of the Passionate, Pure and Perverse" with the MAV Symphony of Budapest, soon to be released on the Hungaroton label.

Her repertoire encompasses more than two dozen roles, ranging from Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni" to the title role in "Salome." Johnson has earned special praise for her portrayal of the title role in Puccini’s "Tosca," which she has performed with more than a dozen companies, most notably New York City Opera as seen on PBS' "Live from Lincoln Center."

"Johnson is dramatically sound, convincing of the woman's extreme emotions," wrote Carl Fourle in his review of "Tosca" for the Independent in Cape Town, South Africa. "Johnson," he added, "is a confident soprano with an authoritative, dramatic tone. Her melodies were flexible, her top notes powerful, and her phrasing different from that of other Toscas."

Grinnell welcomes and encourages the participation of people with disabilities. Herrick Chapel is fully accessible and equipped with an induction hearing (telecoil) loop system. You can request accommodations from the event sponsor or Conference Operations.