Event

Frederica von Stade, mezzo soprano Jake Heggie, piano
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Frederica von Stade, mezzo soprano
Jake Heggie, piano

Thursday, February 11, 2010, at 7:30pm | Foellinger Great Hall

Classical Mix Series | How can we ever say good-bye to Flicka?

Lucky for us, this incomparable superstar is taking one last turn around the great stages of the world to share her most cherished musical pieces in her inimitable, breezy, comfortable style. Ravishing and sparkling, she is so warmly open and welcoming that audiences can’t help but love her. Her magnificent precision and rare ability to subtly color a phrase are only enhanced by her disarming personality and modesty in the face of a truly towering career.

After more than 30 years in the public eye, Frederica von Stade has performed with everyone from Elton John to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, captivated from the Met stage and the TV screen, earned L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and high spots on the Billboard charts—and yet when she’s with us, it feels like she’s our best friend (with a spectacular voice) singing along with the radio as we’re zooming down the highway. We’ll revel in her comedic gifts and marvel at her unsurpassed storytelling as she spins out a poignant French tale or lingers over a sunny Italian aria. Even without knowing the lyrics by heart, we’ll be attuned to the tenderness of young lovers through her mellow tone, a naughty passage when she quickly flounces, and the sensuousness of an evening in Paris from her husky, sultry low notes.

First known for her “trouser roles,” perhaps she’s come full circle now that she admits to feeling most comfortable in jeans these days. She’s done it all and has no regrets—and we shouldn’t have any about her retirement either. She’s adamant about the terms of her departure from her life’s work: “To even think of walking away from it with anything but a grin ear-to-ear is unacceptable.” She’ll leave us behind with our grins just as wide.


Endowed Sponsors:
Lois and Louis Kent

Patron Sponsors:
Dixie and Evan Dickens
Helen and Daniel Richards
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