Biography
With a voice that has been described as having 'a silver quality' and interpretations that have been described as 'perfect' (Siegfried Mauser, Lied und Klaviermusik Master Class Bayreuth, Germany), Elise has received diverse musical training and appears regularly as a soloist in recitals and concerts with several orchestras and chamber groups. Performed works have included Vivaldi's Gloria with the Northern Sinfonia, with her performance of First Witch from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with the Manchester Camerata being featured on BBC Radio Three's Discovering Music. During the upcoming 2011-2012 season, Elise will be studying with English National Opera as a participant in the prestigious Opera Works programme.
Elise completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Montana, USA. She performed several roles during her time at the University, including Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro production that recieved the National Production Award 2006 (National Opera Association, USA). Elise continued her studies upon moving abroad, where she received Postgraduate and Master's Diplomas in Vocal and Opera Studies with merits from the Royal Northern College of Music. During her time at the RNCM, Elise studied and performed several roles, some as excerpts and of which include Musetta from Puccini's La Bohème, Semele from Handel's titled opera, and Aenchen from Weber's Der Freischütz, as well as appearances with the RNCM's Baroque Ensemble.
Extracurricular music work includes shared responsibility leading weekly workshops with Streetwise Opera. SO is a charitable organization that seeks to aid the rehabilitation of the homeless community through music, and recent winner of the Times/Gramophone Award. Projects with SO include a recording (released Christmas 2009) with the group from Manchester.
In August 2010, Elise was invited to appear in the Masterclass Lied und Klaveirmusik (Siegfried Mauser) at the Young Artist Festival Bayreuth, Germany as well as accepting an invitation by the Concordia Foundation to be a member of their 2010 International Ensemble. In April of the same year Elise spent a week training and performing in Paris hospitals with Musique et Santé, an organization dedicated to working with hospital staff, bringing the power of music into a medical environment.
Work with new music includes the revival of Arthur Nevin's Poia, (Great Falls Symphony), Karl Szymanowski's King Roger (Elemental Opera), and Orlando Gough's 'Hey Come On Out' (Streetwise Opera's Fables Project). Recent performances have included Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Asteria in Handel's Tamerlano, Despina in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte with Elemental Opera, and the worldwide premier of Streetwise Opera's Fables Project in Spitalfields Winter Festival 2010.
Elise would like to thank Journey Line Cruises for making her participation in the Liederkranz International Competition, NY, NY possible.