Mary Gayle Greene

Mary Gayle Greene is a classical singer and voice teacher; she is on the voice faculty of Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Her combination of vocalism, musicianship, stage presence and theatrical ability has earned her enthusiastic worldwide praise: Das Opern Glas has lauded, "Ms. Greene's singing was superb...she has a bright voluminous voice." "One should note...the extraordinary mezzo-soprano Mary Gayle Greene. This is a voice of molten chocolate. What a voice!" exclaimed the News and Observer when describing Greene's "dark mahogany, deep plush mezzo-soprano sound." "...Mary Gayle Greene's singing was of the highest caliber" noted the Bonner Rundshau. The composer Gian Carlo Menotti "was absolutely struck by her terrific performance" of one of his works after she was called on short notice to fill in for a singer who became ill. From the fioratura of Bach and Handel, to the dramatic proclamations of Richard Strauss, Greene commands an impressive breadth of repertoire encompassing many musical styles. Her interpretations include those of the bel canto of Bellini and Rossini, as well as those of the lyric and dramatic music of Mozart and Verdi. Her distinguished performances on the operatic stage include appearances at the Edinburgh Music Festival, Buhnen der Stadt Bonn, Chicago Lyric Opera Studio, and Opera Theater of Saint Louis. In concert performance, Greene has been a guest soloist with the Saint Louis Symphony and the North Carolina Symphony under the batons of Leonard Slatkin and Gerhardt Zimmermann. She has also appeared with the symphony orchestras of Greensboro (North Carolina), Canton (Ohio), Chicago (Grant Park), and Knoxville (Tennessee). During her tenure in the North Carolina Visiting Artist Program (administered by the North Carolina Arts Council), Greene traveled throughout North Carolina performing opera, recital, and chamber music while continuing to be a busy soloist and recitalist throughout the United States. Recent concert and oratorio engagements include those of Verdi's Requiem, Bach's Magnificat, Handel's Israel in Egypt, Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder, Mozart's Mass in c minor and Mendelssohn's Elijah with the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, the Greensboro Symphony, the Durham Civic Chorale, and the North Carolina Symphony. She was invited to sing the title role in Carmen at the Breckenridge International Music Festival. Recent performances have featured her singing the role of Dorabella in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte with the North Carolina Symphony, performing Handel's Messiah at Duke University, and appearing as guest soloist in Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo with the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. Mary Gayle Greene is heard as the mezzo-soprano soloist on the world premiere recording of Abraham Kaplan's K'dusha symphony, along with soprano Roberta Peters. She studied voice with Edward Zambara of the New England Conservatory and the Juilliard School, and coaches with John Wustman Professor Emeritus of the University of Illinois. She is a Metropolitan Opera National Auditions finalist, a Center for Contemporary Opera International Competition finalist as well as the recipient of a Metropolitan Opera Career Advancement Grant and a Franz Schubert Institut Scholarship. Greene attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. She did post graduate studies at the Franz Schubert Institut of German Lieder and at the Saint Louis Conservatory of Music.