Mary Beth Nelson | mezzo-soprano
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“Mezzo Mary Beth Nelson has everything she needs and more for success in this repertory: an attractive stage figure who moves expertly, she showed ease and vocal clarity in both traditional mezzo and soprano Rosina turf.”
- David Shengold
Opera News
Photo Credit: Eva Ravel

BIOGRAPHY


Mezzo-soprano Mary Beth Nelson was recently praised by Opera News for her “ardent, focused, von-Stadean mezzo” with Juilliard Opera in Handel’s Atalanta. This spring she will appear in recitals at the Kaufman Music Center and The Juilliard School. In summer 2023, she will join the Filene Artists roster at Wolf Trap Opera, singing Siebel in Gounod’s Faust and in recital with pianist Steven Blier.


Last season Ms. Nelson debuted at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall as the alto soloist in the Bach B Minor Mass with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Maestro Richard Egarr. An advocate of new music, Ms. Nelson was the soloist for the world-premiere of Paul Frehner’s Sometimes the Devil Plays Fate, which will soon be released on Centrediscs label with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Gemma New.


Ms. Nelson is a current recipient of the FENDI Vanguard Award. She has won prizes and awards with Career Bridges (2022, 2019), the Loren L. Zachary National Vocal Competition (2021), the Rochester International Vocal Competition (2020), the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition (2019), the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (2020, 2014), and is a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School.


Ms. Nelson has appeared at Opera Delaware, Baltimore Concert Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Florida Grand Opera, Painted Sky Opera, Bronx Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. She holds a degree from Oklahoma City University and is currently pursuing her Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School. 
Photo credit: Eva Ravel
Updated December 2022

UPCOMING


Photo credit: Eva Ravel

Vocal Arts Honors Recital
with Francesco Barfoed, piano

Somewhere in the in-between of this life and eternity and the figures we encounter on the journey….

​Featuring Three Poems of Christina Rossetti by David Conte and songs by Franz Schubert with text by Alexander Pope, (translated by Johann Gottfried Herder), Franz von Bruchman, and Christoph Johann Anton Kuffner. 

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 7:30pm

Merkin Concert Hall

Kaufman Music Center
129 West 67th Street
New York, New York 10023
Free Livestream

Recital 
​+ new song cycle comission debut


​Daniel Ficarri, organ and composer

Saturday, April 15th at 8:30pm

Paul Hall
The Juilliard School
60 Lincoln Center Plaza
​New York, New York 10023
More info

Recital
with Steven Blier, piano


Sunday, June 4th at 2:00pm

​The Barns at Wolf Trap
MORE INFO

Faust
Siebel


​Music by Charles Gounod
French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré

July 21, 23, 27, and 29, 2023

​The Barns at Wolf Trap
MORE INFO

NOTEWORTHY


2/01/2023

Opera News: Atalanta Review in February 2023 magazine (print) 
  • Nelson praised by Opera News for her “ardent, focused, von-Staden mezzo.” - Joanne Sydney Lessner

1/31/2023

Broadway World: Wolf Trap Announces First Opera, Classical, Music, Film, and Dance Performances for the 2023 Season
  • Nelson makes her Wolf Trap Opera debut as Siebel in Gounod’s Faust
  • Filene Artist Roster
  • Recital with Steven Blier

11/17/2022

L’OFFICIEL MAGAZINE: Watch the 2022 Fendi Vanguard Award Winners Take Center Stage.

11/17/2022

L’OFFICIEL MAGAZINE: Meet the Juilliard School’s FENDI Award Winners ​by Rachel Gilman

9/23/2022

​CULTURED MAGAZINE: FENDI and the Juilliard School Honor Four Young Art Talents by Zoel Harris

​7/26/2022

Mary Beth Nelson is named FENDI VANGUARD SCHOLAR
Harper’s Baazar      
 
Juilliard Journal          
V Magazine         
Woman’s Wear Daily        
The Daily Front Row       
​
Oxtero
- Thank you, friends, family, and supporters -
© 2023 by Mary Beth Nelson
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