Presented as part of the Emerson/Harris Program for Private Study Masterclass Series.Supported, in part, by the Robert L. Malster (1956) Fund
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Praised for her “radiant soprano”, soprano Dana Lynne Varga has established herself as a dynamic interpreter of a wide variety of repertoire on opera and concert stages. She regularly solos at Carnegie Hall, with recent 2022 engagements including the Mozart Requiem with Manhattan Concert Productions and the Brahms Requiem with Mid-America Productions. Dana was a featured 2022 performer with the Calliope’s Call Art Song Society in works by contemporary composers Tom Cipullo and Kile Smith. She stepped in last-minute for the 2021 Boston Pops Christmas shows (Symphony Hall), as first soprano in the professional octet.
Dana maintains a busy schedule on the concert platform. The Boston Globe praised a recent appearance with the Cantata Singers in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, noting that she “streaked up into the stratosphere and back down with ease.” Other notable recent engagements include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with Greenwich Choral Society, Bach’s Magnificat with the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra and both Handel’s Messiah and Haydn's Creation with countless organizations. In past seasons, Dana has appeared as soprano soloist in Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor with Coro Allegro, Fauré’s Requiem and Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3with the Springfield Symphony, Amy Beach’s Mass with Commonwealth Chorale, Vaughn Williams’ Sea Symphony with Metropolitan Chorale and Beethoven’s Mass in C at Tanglewood.
Dana’s 2019 appearance as Pallas Athene in Gluck’s rarely heard Paride ed Elena with Odyssey Opera garnered critical acclaim for her “soprano of impressive scale ... that nearly stole the entire show” (EDGE Media Network). Notable recent operatic engagements include Kayla in the workshop world premiere of Taking Up Serpents presented by MASSOpera and Washington National Opera under the baton of Lidiya Yankovskaya, Stacy Helson in On Behalf of a Madman with Grand Harmonie and zweite Zofe in Der Zwerg with Odyssey Opera. Dana’s other favorite roles performed include Musetta in La bohème, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Anna Maurrant in Street Scene, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Micaëla in Carmen, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, and Alcina in Alcina.
Upcoming 2023 engagements include the Haydn Lord Nelson Mass with Coro Allegro, the Brahms Requiem with the Andover Choral Society, the Mozart Requiem with Wellesley College, and a vibrant faculty recital at the Longy School of Music of Bard College entitled “A Journey Backwards”.
Dana received her MM from New England Conservatory and her DMA from Boston University. Also an accomplished voice teacher, career coach and producer, Dana is a fierce advocate for singers, devoted to progressive change in the classical vocal industry. Please visit www.danavarga.com and www.theempoweredmusician.com
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As of March 14th, 2022, masks are optional. Event attendees are encouraged to be mindful of others’ risk tolerance and respectful of their personal choices. All event attendees are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated and boosted. Tim Tickets are no longer required. For Killian Hall recitals, please use the Building 14 entrance either by the Lewis Music Library or at 160 Memorial Drive. Visitors may also be escorted on campus by anyone with an active MIT ID.
