Dawn Upshaw

Dawn Upshaw
Name	Dawn Upshaw
Birth date	1960-07-17
Birth place	New York City, New York, United States
Occupation	Soprano
Years active	1980s–present
Labels	Nonesuch Records, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Sony Classical

Dawn Upshaw is an American soprano acclaimed for performances in opera, contemporary music, and song recital. She has collaborated with major composers, conductors, and ensembles across North America, Europe, and Asia, shaping modern vocal repertoire and championing new works. Upshaw's career spans recordings, premieres, pedagogical appointments, and advocacy, with recognition from leading cultural institutions.

Early life and education

Upshaw was born in Flushing, Queens, a neighborhood of New York City, and raised in Niskayuna, New York. She studied voice at Syracuse University and later at the Juilliard School in Manhattan, where she worked with teachers associated with the Metropolitan Opera tradition. Her early training included participation in programs linked to the Carnegie Hall community and summer study at festivals connected with the Tanglewood Music Center and the Aspen Music Festival and School. As a young artist she encountered mentors from institutions such as the New York Philharmonic and companies like the Santa Fe Opera.

Career

Upshaw made early professional appearances with ensembles including the San Francisco Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Seattle Opera, and performed in concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. She collaborated with conductors from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to the Berlin Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra. Upshaw premiered works by composers like John Adams, Osvaldo Golijov, Caroline Shaw, Kaija Saariaho, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, and appeared at festivals including the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Her partnerships extended to ensembles such as the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and chamber groups connected to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Repertoire and recordings

Upshaw's repertoire ranges from Baroque works by George Frideric Handel to contemporary cycles by Steve Reich and Philip Glass, with notable interpretations of art song by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Gustav Mahler, and Benjamin Britten. She is known for premieres and definitive recordings of pieces by Henryk Górecki, Krzysztof Penderecki, John Corigliano, Marc-André Dalbavie, and Thomas Adès. Her discography on labels such as Nonesuch Records, Deutsche Grammophon, and Sony Classical includes Grammy-winning projects alongside collaborations with soloists and ensembles from the Juilliard String Quartet to the International Contemporary Ensemble. Upshaw recorded song cycles and operatic roles that have been released alongside performances at houses like the Metropolitan Opera and festivals such as the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

Awards and honors

Her awards include prizes and honors from institutions like the MacArthur Fellows Program, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Grammy Awards. Upshaw has been recognized by arts organizations such as the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Avery Fisher Prize, and fellowships associated with the Guggenheim Foundation. She has received honorary degrees from universities including Yale University, Columbia University, and Princeton University, and civic honors from cultural bodies linked to the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center.

Teaching and mentorship

Upshaw has held academic and residency positions at institutions such as Yale School of Music, where she led graduate programs and workshops connected to conservatories like the Curtis Institute of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She directed initiatives similar to artist-in-residence programs at the Tanglewood Music Center and collaborated with conservatory faculty from Juilliard and Bard College Conservatory of Music. Her mentorship extended through master classes at festivals including the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Ravinia Festival, and summer academies associated with the Manhattan School of Music.

Personal life and advocacy

Upshaw has lived and worked in cultural centers such as New York City and Tremper, New York, and she has been active in advocacy for arts funding and contemporary composition with organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Philharmonic education programs. She has participated in benefit concerts for causes endorsed by institutions like the Kennedy Center and collaborated with humanitarian-linked events organized by bodies such as UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders. Her public engagement includes lectures at universities like Harvard University and Columbia University, and she serves on advisory panels for festivals and organizations similar to the Carnegie Hall Institute and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Category:American sopranos Category:Living people Category:1960 births