Céline Ricci
Born in Florence of Italian and French parents, Céline first studied in Paris with Ana Maria Miranda and continued her post-graduate studies at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Selected by renowned conductor William Christie for his first elite academy, Le Jardin des Voix, this gifted artist was named one of operas promising new talents in 2005 by Opernwelt. She has made numerous appearances for the prestigious Les Arts Florissants and continues to have engagements with them.
Ms Ricci already has an impressive discography that includes a number of audio recordings and two DVDs. The release of the Terradellas opera Artaserse, in which she sings the role of Arbace, garnered a great deal of critical acclaim. In her characters 8-minute aria, Opernwelt singled out her exciting performance as being a tour de force and was described as having faultless breath control, total security and perfect round tone. The review went on to explain her coloratura abilities as equal to those of Cecilia Bartoli.
Céline Ricci's first solo CD, Cirque, was released in late February 2011 on the Sono Luminus label and is a superb collection of songs that celebrates four, renowned French composers and their contribution to the mélodies repertoire of the early 20th Century. Featured are rarely heard works by Francis Poulenc, Darius Milhaud, and Georges Auric. A series of concerts are being planned for the 2011/12 season and beyond. A second CD of French mélodies will be released in early 2012, with animals as the prevailing subject.
Early music continues to be a major component of Céline Ricci's performances. Recent operas include Angelica in Handel's Orlando (Sacramento Opera), Clitia in Handel's Teseo (Göttingen-Handel Festival), Handel's Athalia (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra), Purcells Dido and Aeneas (numerous companies) and many others.
Collaborating conductors include some very distinguished names: Nicolas McGegan, Hugo Reyne, Friedmann Layer, P. Cohen-Akenine, Enrique Mazzola, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Martin Haselbock, Martin Gester, Timm Rolek and others. She has worked with choreographer Sasha Waltz and director Deborah Warner on a number of projects. Her touring has taken her to New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, London, Brussels, Israel, and Barcelona, Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Moscow, St. Petersburg.
Performance:
Thursday, September 22, 2011, 7:30 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church
1100 Carter Creek Parkway
Bryan, Texas 77802