Ashley Putnam

2000 Semi-Finals Judge

American soprano Ashley Putnam, an artist noted for her broad range of repertoire, has received particular acclaim for her Mozart heroines, including Donna Anna from Don Giovanni in Brussels and at the Metropolitan Opera; Electra from Idomeneo in Lyon; Fiordiligi from Così fan tutte in Cologne and Venice; Sifare from Mitridate at the Aix-en-Provence Festival and in Strasbourg, Nice, and Lyon; and Vitellia from La clemenza di Tito in Zurich. Her performance of Fiordiligi in Jonathan Miller's production of Così fan tutte for Opera Theatre of St. Louis was broadcast by the BBC. Acclaim for her portrayals of Mozart heroines has been matched only by her success with Strauss' Marchallin, a role which she has sung at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Colorado, Portland Opera, Seattle Opera, and San Diego Opera. She has given memorable performances in other Strauss works including Arabella at Netherlands Opera and the Vienna Staatsoper, and in a new John Cox production at Glyndebourne (available on video). At Santa Fe Opera, she performed the title role in the American premiere of Strauss' Die Liebe der Danae. Ms. Putnam can be heard on recordings as Musetta in La bohème (Philips), in Virgil Thomson's The Mother of Us All (New World Records), and as the title role in Thea Musgrave's Mary, Queen of Scots (Moss Music Group).

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