Elspeth Davis
Mezzo-soprano Elspeth Davis began her 2016-17 season with a performance of Gregory Spear’s cycle Owen Songs as part of the concert series at An Die Musik in Baltimore, MD. This performance marked the debut of Two Cities, a new ensemble with soprano Melissa Wimbish. Other engagements include a Texas tour of Janácek’s Zápisník zmizelého (The Diary of One Who Disappeared), followed by a Southeastern tour of Ligeti’s masterpiece Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel and the new companion piece Goldbeater’s Skin by composer Christopher Cerrone, with frequent collaborators Sandbox Percussion. As a recitalist, Elspeth was seen in the Sunday Afternoon Concert Series at Harford College, and returned to both the Concerts on the Slope and Concerts by Sea series. Elspeth also sang the alto solo in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Couperin’s Leçons de ténèbres in Baltimore with Two Cities, in conjunction with the Baroque ensemble S’amusant.
This past season, Elspeth performed György Ligeti’s epic song cycle Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel with Sandbox Percussion at Furman University. She made her European debut as Der Trommler in Der Kaiser von Atlantis with Schülterwerke and the Klangforum Wein in Vienna. She was also one of seven singers invited to the inaugural season of Liederfest in Suzhou, in Suzhou, China, where she performed Leonard Bernstein’s forgotten song cycle Arias and Barcarolles, as well as Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer. An avid chamber musician and recitalist, she has performed in numerous concert series, including the
Concerts on the Slope Series and the Christ Church Chamber Music Series.Favorite operatic roles include Der Trommler in Der Kaiser von Atlantis under the baton of Cornelius Meister, Nicklausse in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw, Eleonora in Le Donne Curiose, Béatrice in Béatrice et Bénédict, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti, Le Prince Charmant in Cendrillon, and The Faithful Seductress in the chamber opera Ophelia Forever by Amy Kirsten. Other stage roles include Percy Talbot in The Spitfire Grill, for which she received an Irene Ryan nomination, The Fairy Queen in Iolanthe, Virginella in La Perichole, Nettie Fowler in Carousel, Mme. Matroppo in Very Good Eddie, Luisa in The Fantasticks, and The Witch in Into the Woods. As an actor, Elspeth has appeared as Mariane in Tartuffe, Dunyasha in The Cherry Orchard, and Olivia in Twelfth Night.
