JESSYE NORMAN is “one of those once-in-a-generation singers who is not simply following in the footsteps of others, but is staking out her own niche in the history of singing.” This rich history continues to be made as she brings her sumptuous sound, her joy of singing and spontaneous passion to recital performances, operatic portrayals and appearances with symphony orchestras and chamber music collaborators to audiences around the world. The sheer size, power, and luster of her voice share equal acclaim with that of her thoughtful music-making, innovative programming of the classics, and fervent advocacy of contemporary music. Miss Norman’s collaborations with artists on the cutting-edge in their fields, as Robert Wilson, Andre Heller, Bill T. Jones, Steve McQueen and Laura Karpman serve to add new dimensions and exciting new challenges to her work. For her Royal Opera House Muscat performance, Miss Norman brings her powerful, elegant soprano to a bouquet of beloved standards from the songbooks of Rodgers and Hammerstein (“You’ll Never Walk Alone”; “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”), George Gershwin (“I Got Rhythm”; “My Man’s Gone Now”), Leonard Bernstein (“Somewhere”, from West Side Story), Jerome Kern (“The Sond Is You”, from Music in the Air), and a medley of tunes by the great Duke Ellington [including “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”; “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got that Swing!”)]. Her accompanist for the evening is her long-time recital partner, Mark Markham, whose exquisitely sensitive playing is the perfect complement to Miss Norman’s splendid voice. Watch her reflect on some of her performances with Tavis Smiley on PBS here: http://video.pbs.org/video/2068861709/
