Marjorie Hopson Vance [email protected]
Marjorie Hopson Vance [email protected]
As the first African- American permanent soloist in the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera House in Vienna, Austria, Europe, I sang professionally for 25 years there and in Germany, performing with many world famous conductors including Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, and Herbert von Karajan, Karl Boehm, Daniel Barenboim, Claudio Abbado, ect. and world famous singers such as Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Simon Estes, Thomas Hampson, Edita Gruberova, etc. I attended the Vienna Conservatory of Music for opera and studied voice with Hilde Gueden and Hilde Zadek and in New York with Carolina Segrera and Edward Boatner. Being a native of Hampton Roads, I returned home after retiring from the operatic stage, in 2002, to open my own vocal studio and find more opportunities to share my passion for music and learning with young voices. I was employed at Center Stage Academy from 2002-2008, as a vocal teacher, before opening my own studio. I am a member of the Phi Beta Fraternity and Queen Street Baptist Church, Hampton, Va.
I grew up in the fifties, the youngest of 4 children, in Hampton, Virginia. Although I received a scholarship to attend the Cincinnati Conservatory in my senior year at G.P. Phenix high school, I decided to attend Hampton Institute(Hampton University), and graduated with a teaching degree (BS) in education and a minor in music. At HU, I was very fortunate to study with a fantastic voice teacher, choir director, and department head, Dr. Henry Switten. He opened my untrained voice (I never studied voice until college) and gave me a vocal technique so secure I could sing some of the most difficult arias written for a lyric-coloratura soprano.
After graduating from HU, I moved to New York City and obtained a music teaching position, and later met my husband, George Vance, an English teacher and musician. A great opportunity came when I auditioned and received a one year contract with a touring company in Switzerland singing Bess and Clara in “Porgy and Bess” in the GERMAN LANGUAGE (the only door for many Blacks to sing serious music, so ” Thank You Mr. Gershwin”). Now that was a challenge! So at the age of 26, I arrived in Europe. Then followed a 3 year contract in Aachen, Germany and finally the Vienna State Opera engagement in Austria where I remained until my retirement.
I have had many exciting experiences meeting and singing with the stars of the opera world at the house in Vienna and on guest appearances in other houses. One special occasion was when former President Jimmy Carter came backstage to congratulate me in “The Barber of Seville”. Then there was my audition and engagement at the Salzburg Festival with Herbert von Karajan(the Heavenly Voice) in”“Don Carlo”. Singing “Adina” from “L’elisir d’amore” with Jose Carreras in Barcelona, Spain was magical. Placido Domingo came into my dressing room to wish me Toi, Toi, Toi (means good luck) before his conducting of Macbeth. His conducting was just as impressive as his singing. His cologne was the best of all. Meeting Grace Bumbry and Leontyne Price at a private luncheon was a once in a lifetime lesson in Black heritage and grace….two great personalities. Pavarottti’s backstage compliment to me for the Priesterin in “Aida” made my small role seem really big. He did not sing” Aida” very often, but I was fortunate to hear a live performance at his peak. Singing with the America baritone Thomas Hampson at the Zuerich Opera in “The Barber “ was great fun and singing” Leonora” in “Trovatore” at the Hungarian Opera House where they sang in Hungarian and I sang in Italian with a SMILING VOCAL TECHNIQUE , made the newpaper review which I still have today, in Hungarian. And most difficult was the making of the film “Electra” with the local fire department pouring cold water 1
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over our scenes every day to make it look like it was raining. We still had to actually sing, not lip sing, with the playback of the pre-recorded CD.
The following is a list of engagements, festivals, and prizes obtained during my career:
• A European touring company of “Porgy and Bess” through Switzerland, Germany and Austria; Stadttheater Aachen, Germany(singing Fiordiligi, Gilda and Liu); Volksoper Wien, Austria; Wiener Staatsoper (permanent member); Salzburger Festivals singing Nayade(Ariadne auf Naxos), Salzburg Mozarteum, Handel’s” Messiah”, and “Il Re Pastore”(Mozart) during the Mozartwochen, Geneva Opera House, Switzerland ; Wiener Konzerhaus; Wiener Musikverein; Theater and der Wien, Austria (guest performances singing Norina(Don Pasquale); Yehudi Menuhin Festival, Gstaad, Switzerland (singing Glauce(Medea); Gran Teatro Liceo, Barcelona, Spain, singing Adina(L”elisir d’amore) Hungarian Opera House singing Leonora(Il Trovatore); Open Air Festival-Margaret Island, Hungary; Zuerich Opera House,Switzerland singing Berta(Barber of Seville); Festival de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Maggio Musicale Florence, Italy; Wiener Staatsoper Touring Company to Japan, Washington, D.C., Hamburg, Frankfurt and Prague with the opera Ariadne auf Naxos.
• Prize winner of the International Opera Competition in Vienna, Austria; Winner of the Mozart Prize at the Concours International de Chant de Paris, France. Recordings of Vivaldi’s “Serenata a tre”, soundtrack of the movie “Moliere”, Great Baroque Masters, Krenek’s opera, “Karl V”, Richard Strauss operas “Frau Ohne Schatten” and “Ariadne auf Naxos”, Bizet “Carmen”, the Unitel film ”Electra”, appearance in the Cannes Festival Film “Emigrants”, spirituals and jazz recording “Time Slip” in Austria, 2002, Gershwin Gala, Hotel Rocca, Nettuno, Italy, Fat’s Wallers “Ain’t Misbehavin” and 1000 Sonnen by Sergei Dreznin.
Some recordings of my singing can be heard and purchased on Amazon.com and Alibris Marketplace, and my personal web site: www.marjorievance.com
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