Cynthia Cook Mezzo-Soprano
Cynthia Cook is the epitome of the modern bel canto mezzo soprano. Her large, lush voice, impeccable use of florid agility and her natural beauty serve her well in all of her repertoire.
In 2016/17, she performed the dual roles of Baroness/Vanderdendur in Candide at Opéra National de Bordeaux and Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse. In 2014, she gave a shining performance in the lead role of Sondra Finchley in the World Premiere of the newly revised version of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy at Glimmerglass Festival where she returned this past year to play Baroness and Vanderdendur in Candide. In previous years, she continued her work with Francesca Zambello in Washington National Opera’s new production of Dialogues of the Carmelites as a Carmelite Nun while covering the role of Mother Marie, and sang the mezzo solo in Rachmaninov’s Vespers with Princeton Pro Musica.
Cynthia Cook has received training and performed leading roles with some of the most prestigious Young Artist programs in the United States. At Florida Grand Opera, she appeared as Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflöte and Teresa in La Sonnambula (under the direction of Renata Scotto). With the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program she covered Calbo in Rossini’s Maometto II and Adelaide in Arabella. In the apprentice scenes concert, she gave a memorable performance as Princess Eboli in the Garden Scene from Don Carlo. A graduate from the renowned Academy of Vocal Arts, she sang a wide range of roles, including: Adalgisa in Norma, Meg Page in Falstaff, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Smeton in Anna Bolena, Clairon in Capriccio, and Adelaide in Arabella.
In 2014, Cynthia Cook received an Encouragement Grant from Career Bridges Foundation and from the Gerda Lissner Competition, and was a semi-finalist in the Jensen Foundation and McCammon Voice Competitions. In 2013, she was a District Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Mid-Atlantic Region). She obtained her Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française and Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française in 2018.
Cynthia Cook Mezzo-Soprano
Opera Baroness/Vanderdendur Candide Opéra National de Bordeaux 2017 Baroness/Vanderdendur Candide Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse 2016 Baroness/Vanderdendur Candide Glimmerglass Festival 2015 Mother Marie (c) Dialogues of the Carmelites Washington National Opera 2015 Carmelite Nun Dialogues of the Carmelites Washington National Opera 2015 Sondra Finchley An American Tradgedy Glimmerglass Festival 2014 Zweite Dame Die Zauberflöte Florida Grand Opera 2013 Teresa La Sonnabula Florida Grand Opera 2013 Calbo (c) Maometto II Santa Fe Opera Festival 2012 Adelaide (c) Arabella Santa Fe Opera Festival 2012 Olga Eugene Onegin Vashon Opera 2012 Marta Iolanta Russian Opera Workshop 2011 Zerlina Don Giovanni Academy of Vocal Arts 2011 Adelaide Arabella Academy of Vocal Arts 2011 Clairon Capriccio Academy of Vocal Arts 2010 Adalgisa Norma Academy of Vocal Arts 2010 Meg Page Falstaff Academy of Vocal Arts 2010 Smeton Anna Bolena Academy of Vocal Arts 2008 Dorabella Così fan tutte Academy of Vocal Arts 2007
Concert & Oratorio Rachmaninov Vespers Princeton Pro Musica 2015
Education & Training Young Artist Florida Grand Opera 2013/13 Apprentice Artist Santa Fe Opera Festival 2012 Artist Diploma The Academy of Vocal Arts 2011 Bachelor’s of Music University of Hartford 2007
Competitions, Awards & Certifications Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française & Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française 2018 Encouragement Grant, Career Bridges Foundation 2014 Semi Finalist, The Jensen Foundation Competition 2014 Encouragement Award, Gerda Lissner Competition 2014 Semi Finalist, McCammon Voice Competition 2014 District Finalist, Metropolitan Opera National Council Award (Middle Atlantic Region) 2013
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Cynthia Cook Mezzo-Soprano
Opera Repertoire
Barber Mozart Erika ……………………………. Vanessa Sesto ……………….… La Clemenza di Tito Dorabella ….……...... …… Così fan tutte Bellini Zerlina ……………..………… Don Giovanni Romeo ….…….. I Capuleti e i Montecchi Idamante ….………….…………… Idomeneo Adalgisa ………………………….. Norma Zweite Dame. …...... Die Zauberflöte Teresa …………...………. La Sonnabula Picker Berlioz Sondra Finchley …… An American Tragedy Béatrice ….……….. Béatrice et Bénedict Marguerite ….…. La Damnation de Faust Poulenc Mother Marie ...… Dialogue of the Carmelites Bizet Carmen, Mercedes ….….……… Carmen Rossini Rosina …..………….. Il Barbiere di Siviglia Donizetti Angelina, Tisbe ….………… La Cenerentola Giovanna Seymour, Smeton ….. Anna Bolena Elena …………………... La Donna del Lago Elisabetta ……….……… Maria Stuarda Isabella ……………..…. L’Italiana in Algeri Sara …………...……… Roberto Devereux Calbo ……………..…………….. Maometto II
Händel R. Strauss Ruggerio …………………………... Alcina Komponist …..……….… Ariadne auf Naxos Ariodante …………….……….. Ariodante Serse ………………………………… Serse Tchaikovsky Olga …………...………….…. Eugene Onegin Massenet Cendrillon ……………………. Cendrillon Verdi Chérubin ………………………. Chérubin Meg Page …….…..……...... ………. Falstaff Charlotte ..…………….……….... Werther Cuniza .....…...... Oberto
This list represents recommended roles in the artist's operatic repertoire. For a list of performed repertoire, please refer to the artist's resume and biography. !
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Cynthia Cook Mezzo-Soprano
Reviews
“Cynthia Cook’s sumptuous, earthy voice swelled with vibrato and earnestness as Sondra Finchley [An American Tradgedy], the second woman with whom Clyde falls in love.” WWW.OPERATEEN.WORDPRESS.COM, 2014
“Cynthia Cook was an appropriately weighty mezzo for Teresa [La Sonnambula]… the smooth, liquid weight of her voice made her seem very wise indeed.” Judy O. Marchman , OPERAGASM, 2013
“As Amina’s stepmother, Teresa, the mezzo-soprano Cynthia Cook brought concern, compassion and an attractive voice.” David Fleshler, SOUTH FLORIDA CLASSICAL REVIEW, 2013
“Cynthia Cook was also in great voice as Joan of Arc from The Maid of Orleans, making it an ariatic meltdown, even wearing a smoking opera dress and Marilyn Monroe platinum flip.” Lewis Whittington, CULTUREVULTURE.NET, 2010
“Cynthia Cook was an interesting Adalgisa [Norma]. She used a throbbing vibrato which sounded appropriate to the 19th-century style of the opera. In accordance with that interpretation, Cook was blonde while Meade is a brunette; Cook was more slender, and Cook's voice had a technique that was different from Meade's. I liked the contrast of their instruments, one being a clarinet to the other's English horn. Through it all, they matched each other's notes perfectly. Steve Cohen, THEOPERACRITIC.COM, 2010
“As the spoiled rich girl with the (eventual) heart of gold… Ms. Cook never faltered… Cynthia demonstrated admirable musicianship and considerable intelligence in her traversal of the role.” James Sohre, OPERA TODAY
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