Richard Margison's Daughter Lauren Manages Classical And Crossover

The 23-year old daughter of famed opera tenor Richard Margison is now emerging into the world of classical music as a strong contender to continue his musical legacy. Not only has the soprano proven that she has the chops to make it on the classical side, she also sings pop, jazz, Broadway, and folk music with equal panache. Her mother, Valerie Kuinka, is a stage director and violist. While pregnant with Lauren, she played in the orchestra for the opera in Toronto. Lauren joined the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus at age seven and was quickly promoted to the principal chorus. Richard’s own upbringing was a musical one. His mother was a piano teacher and his father was an amateur singer with a strong baritone voice, who also played viola with the Victoria Symphony early on. Lauren has performed at events like the TD Toronto Jazz Festival and shared stages with Gordon Lightfoot, Rufus Wainwright and more. Experience two videos of Lauren Margison after the jump to hear the diversity of this young singer. [Source]

Renée Fleming Headlines All-Star Evening Of American Voices

"World-renowned American opera singer Renée Fleming convenes a festival of special guests to celebrate the diverse range of America’s vocal artistry. Young artists receive mentoring from respected singers including Ben Folds, Dianne Reeves, Sutton Foster, Eric Owens, Kim Burrell and Alison Krauss. Also see performances by Josh Groban, Sara Bareilles and Norm Lewis. A documentary about the festival will air on Great Performances on PBS Friday, January 9 at 9/8c." [Source] Watch the complete performance,  or just an excerpt of Renée Fleming singing "Danny Boy," after the jump.

Tenor Noah Stewart Lets Opera Pave His Path To Reach Others

"When you think of the opera singers, the image of a Black man from Harlem rarely comes to mind. But baritone-turned-tenor singer Noah Stewart has changed that. Fresh off a European tour, the world renowned jazz singer touched down at Minton's, a jazz house in Harlem for a Hennessy-hosted welcome-home party on Monday (June 16). The iconic venue, home of some of the first Harlem Renaissance jam sessions, where bebop was born and where Duke Ellington sharpened his pianist chops, was fitting for the new face of Harlem’s jazz scene. 'I have been on the road a lot but now that I am back in Harlem I plan to bring the energy of the Harlem Renaissance back,' Stewart told BET.com, who grew up in the historic Sugar Hill. 'I love opera and there is nothing like being back here to share my experiences.' Stewart performed his first opera as a student at the famed Fiorello LaGuardia High School. He then went on to further harness his craft at the Juilliard School. From there he gained recognition singing backup for Coolio and other big names before breaking into the classical music community, which inevitably thrust him onto the international main stage. But his road to opera singing sensation was often lonely. 'I decided I wanted to pursue opera because no one looked like me,' Stewart said in between boisterous sets.

'When I was growing up everyone wanted to be a rap artist or the next pop star.' A story that is synonymous with other aspiring artists, Stewart faced adversity during his journey. He poked fun at his naysayers as he performed Barbara Streisand's 'Everybody Says Don't,' entertaining the crowd with his angelic voice and cunning lyrics all at once. But after his international success, becoming the first Black man to have a No. 1 album on the U.K. classic charts in 2012, Stewart is still doing him and creating his legacy. 'Growing up in NYC, it's [important] to sit back and reflect on everything you did because the city moves so fast,' Stewart said. 'Now I can sit back and look at what I have done and my goals and say, 'I did that.'' His moment of reflection at home will be brief. In the fall, Noah debuts La Boheme with the Nashville Opera, then returns to Michigan Opera Theater in Puccini's Madame Butterfly." [Source] Click here for more about Noah Stewart. Watch a video from the Michigan Opera Theatre performances of The Pearl Fishers, after the jump.

Dawn Upshaw Brings Jazz Down Under For Australian Tour

Soprano Dawn Upshaw (left) with composer Maria Schneider

"The last time she toured here with the ACO was also in summer, in February 2009, when she sang works by Bartok, Golijov, Dowland, Schubert and Schumann. This time she'll introduce a work written for her by friend and colleague Maria Schneider, a nine-song cycle titled Winter Morning Walks that uses the words of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Ted Kooser. A performance of this earned her a Grammy award for best classical vocal solo. Upshaw doesn't see her musical diversity as a trip along a musical vector. 'No, I don't see a straight line anywhere,' she says. 'It's more adding on to the structure of my musical life. I don't see myself so much on a path as exploring.' Born in Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of a minister in the United Church of Christ, she felt that music must have some kind of message. 'My musical upbringing was centred on the civil rights movement, and I grew up listening to recordings of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. The message was that music could inspire people so much that things could really become better. I want to be engaged in the world that I'm living in, and I think that's what stirred my interest in particular in working with composers. I really feel I'm jumping right in with music of my own time.' Upshaw fell in love with Schneider's music when a friend introduced her to a recording of Schneider's Concert in the Garden. She started going to Jazz Standard in