Jennifer Marie Stevens
Classical Singer ~ Visual Artist
Green Bay, WI
wakohsiy
Jennifer M. Stevens, soprano, a concert recitalist and soloist has trained as a classical vocalist in college and privately. She enjoys singing sacred song, art song, oratorio, opera arias, and new music, including original art songs of her own. Stevens is considered versatile in other genres such as; musical theatre, jazz standards, Indigenous classical fusion, and contemporary music as well. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SINGING:
Jennifer M. Stevens, an American lyric spinto soprano, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, is considered a multi-faceted vocalist and visual artist. Music has been a major part of Stevens’ life. She started out with taking piano lessons at age 8, singing in choirs, taking voice lessons, and with her parents playing Pavarotti; she grew a great appreciation for classical music and opera.
Stevens voice has been described as having a rich timbre and expansive range (E3-E6); in combination with her high notes and agility-Stevens makes for a versatile operatic soprano. Stevens loves to sing beautiful, lush, romantic, and dramatic Italian arias, especially by Puccini. In the same token, she has recently discovered Bel Canto arias by Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini are also right down her alley. Stevens has been complimented many of times for her emotional expressiveness, musicality, and soulfulness. Stevens has been told she is notorious for raising hairs on people's backs and running chills up and down their spines.
Today Stevens is a concert soprano recitalist and soloist performing standard repertoire such as; art songs, oratorio, sacred song, musical theatre, opera arias, and new music. Stevens has studied both in college and privately for the past 20 years and she is currently the student of Margaret Colbert, formerly known as Margaret Robbins-Drummond. Margaret Colbert has recently returned to the states from Darmstadt, Germany. She performed the roles of Tosca, Aida, Turandot, Il Trovatore, Lohengrin, and Arabella in Germany and Austria, with Tosca being her specialty.
Stevens is also an up and coming contemporary classical composer where she is writing original songs for her recitals and solo performances. Stevens’ original works and vocals are getting recognition and noted as... "riveting," "lyrical," "mesmerizing," and "Soulful." Her original recital works are sung in English and/or the Oneida language written primarily for piano and voice, and she is showing an interest in future chamber works as well. With Jennifer Stevens exploration in writing her own art songs for recital, and some written in the Oneida language(Singing in her Oglala Lakota language is her next goal), has led to her inspiration to release her first classical CD in 2012 called, Ol^•ná, (Oh-luuh-nah) meaning a song or a prayer in the Oneida language.
Stevens continues to share her love for music and performing in various venues such as; The Green Bay Civic Symphony, Choir/Student Recitals in Germany, Austria, and Italy, Native American Music Awards, Club Italo-Americano, First Nation Composer Initiatives Concerts, Heard Museum in partnership with the Arizona Opera, Oneida Nation Museum, Indian Summer Music Festival, MacPhail Center for Music, and will be performing at the Meyer Theatre of Green Bay both November 5, 2011 and April 24, 2012. Jennifer Stevens is also being featured in a documentary called "The Lesson," produced by Eileen Littig and Dean Thomas. The NEWIST/CESA 7 and ETP-NEW Documentary, “The Lesson,” will soon be released and viewed on Wisconsin Public Television in 2012.
Stevens preparing for her first performance of one of her original works, Owe.la' for Soprano, Flute, Piano, and Cello. Rockville, Maryland, 2009. Photo credit to First Nation Composer Initiatives, St. Paul, MN.
COMPOSITIONS:
Composing classical music for piano and voice has been a secret hobby for Stevens. She feels she has performed songs in many languages, especially Italian and Latin, and lately inspired to composing her own art songs for recital. She has written compositions for school as far back as 1998, where her instructor Dr. Cook, of St. Norbert College, encouraged her to keep her compositions and start building a portfolio. Stevens struggles with music theory, didn't think she could be a composer, but her compositions and lyrics have always been very fluid for her.
Stevens Voice Teacher, Sondra Kelly in 2009 also encouraged Stevens to continue her exploration in her composition for recital. Currently Stevens is writing compositions influenced by her classical foundation but also combines her classical training with her indigenous language and culture to give a new flavor to some of her songs for recital. Stevens wrote and performed her first song cycle entitled, Elements; Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water at the Heard Museum and will continue to develop her compositions and exploring new ideas. Stevens will always continue her classical music singing art songs, oratorio, sacred song, and opera arias-standard repertoire for recital, but enjoys adding something a little different that she knows her audience has not heard yet, because it stems from herself through her original compositions.
Stevens has performed songs for recital for the past 20 years and through her experience she loves inspirational and romantic music. She enjoys it so much that she is inspired to create a similar ambiance of romantic or inspirational music through her own original compositions. To Stevens it doesn’t matter what language she is singing in, what is most important to her is either finding music or composing music that she enjoys performing for recital. Being a classical singer, you sing in many languages…Stevens appreciates all cultures and enjoys honoring them through her performances. (Hear Samples of Compositions.)
Jennifer M. Stevens, soprano is available to sing for recitals and solos for special events.
http://www.wakohsiyostudio.com/contact
Articles/Websites:
http://thecirclenews.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=262&Itemid=34
Margaret Colbert, Vocal Coach, and Jennifer M. Stevens. Jennifer M. Stevens with her Vocal Coach and Mentor, Soprano, Maggie (Drummond) Colbert, originally from Los Angeles, CA, trained with Tilly deGarmo and Fritz Sweig. Maggie just moved back from Germany of 43 years; a West Coast Regionals Metropolitan Opera Auditions Winner, sang Verdi and Puccini leading roles in Germany and Austria. Colbert has gifted Stevens coachings and helping her prepare for her performances. 
Sondra Kelly, dramatic mezzo-soprano and Jennifer Stevens, Lyric Spinto Soprano.Stevens just completed 5 days of training with Metropolitan opera singer, Sondra Kelly in April 2009. Meeting Sondra Kelly has inspired Stevens to continue her training in opera and this was the start of a documentary called the Lesson, produced by Eileen Littig. This documenatary will soon to be released by CESA 7/NEWIST, and Wisconsin Public Television in 2012. 
Jennifer Stevens with producer, Eileen Littig.
Eileen Littig is producing a documentary called the Lesson that will be released by CESA 7/NEWIST and Wisconsin Public TV in 2012. Jennifer Stevens and Eileen Littig have worked closely since April of 2009-with such a project they have become life long friends.
Jennifer also enjoys working with youth, and encouraging them in the arts. Stevens first directing experience and it was a sell-out success!
Green Bay, WI
wakohsiy
