LOUISE TOPPIN, finalist in the Munich International Competition and winner of the Metropolitan Opera regional auditions, has received critical acclaim for her operatic, orchestral, and oratorio performances in the United States, Czech Republic, Scotland, Japan, China, Uruguay, Sweden, the Caribbean, Bermuda, New Zealand, England, and Spain. She has appeared in recital on concert series including Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall), Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Licieu Theatre in Barcelona, Spain and the International Albeniz Festival in Camprodon, Spain. Orchestral appearances include: the Norrköping Symphony (Sweden), the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Czech National Symphony, Mälmo Symphony Orchestra, (Sweden), Tokyo City Orchestra (Japan), The Montevideo Philharmonic (Uruguay), the Scotland Festival Orchestra (Aberdeen, Scotland), the Honolulu, Bermuda, Petersburg, Fayetteville, Fairfield, Toledo, Canton, North Carolina, Charlotte, Lafayette, Erie Chamber and Raleigh Chamber Symphony Orchestras, The Bach Aria Group, Phoenix Bach Consort, and the Washington DC Bach Consort with conductors such as: Paul Freeman, Richard Aulden Clark, Justin Brown, James Meena, and Gearhart Zimmerman.

Opera roles include: title role in the world premiere of the opera Luyala by composer William Banfield, Treemonisha in Scott Joplin's Treemonisha, Mary in William Grant Still’s Highway One, Lucy in Menotti's The Telephone, both Clara and Bess in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni. Ms. Toppin performed Mozart's Impresario (Goldentrill) at The Kennedy Center, to rave reviews from The Washington Post. Most recently she sang Clara in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess for Opera Carolina (February, 2004) and Piedmont Opera (April 2004) companies. She also sang Mrs. Clancey in The Italian Lesson by Lee Hoiby (one woman opera) for Long Leaf Opera Company (April 2004).

This season she will sing Maria in the world premier of Joel Feigin’s opera Twelfth Night, Elisa in Mozart’s Il Re Pastore and The Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Magic Flute. She toured for seven seasons in "A Gershwin party" with pianist Leon Bates and tenor William Brown. The trio appeared on such series as the Minnesota Pops Cabaret Concert, Spivey Hall Concert Series in Atlanta and NPR's Performance Today. She is currently a member of “Gershwin on Broadway” with singers LaRose Saxon, Cedric Cannon, Sam McKelton, Robert Mack and pianist Leon Bates and “Spiritual Ensemble” both touring from Joanne Rile Artist Management.

She has created and tours in many other recitals such as: Music of African American composers; Music of Women composers; Pictures from an Exhibition (a visual show interacting art with music); and Music of Spanish composers on college campuses around the US such as Universities of Mississippi, Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, Miami, California, Oregon, North Carolina, Denver, New York University, Morehouse, Spelman, Duke, Michigan State, Tufts, Emory, etc. Her compact disks of American Music are: Songs of Illumination, (Centaur Records), Ah love, but a day (Albany), Extensions of the Tradition (Albany) More Still (Cambria), Sence you went away (Albany) and Paul Freeman Introduces... Vol. II and IV (Albany) with the Czech National Symphony, A Hall Johnson collection published by Carl Fisher (2003) and Highway One (opera by William Grant Still released on Albany Records March 2005. Released in 2005-6, The Major’s Letter (Albany Records), Poetry Preludes (Albany Records), Good News (Visionary Records) and He’ll Bring it to Pass (Visionary Records). (spirituals of Hall Johnson with pianist Joseph Joubert).

A graduate of The University of Michigan, Peabody Conservatory and The University of North Carolina, her teachers and coaches include: George Shirley, Reri Grist, Charlotte Holloman, Sylvia Olden Lee, and Mattiwilda Dobbs. In the summers of 1995 & 1996 she worked with Joan Sutherland, Richard Bonynge and Elly Ameling respectively at the Britten Pears School in England. In addition she is a professor of Voice at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.

 

 

 

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