“Angel Blue represents the tenacity and courage it takes to thrive in the professional world of classical music and is a role model for all of us,” said Peter Gistelinck.
BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. March 1, 2023 /24-7press release/ — On Thursday, March 9, 2023, Wharton Arts will honor Grammy Award-winning opera singer Angel Blue with her Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual gala. Angel Blue has taken the opera world by storm with historic performances as Violetta in Verdi La traviata, and although she was told it would never happen, Ms. Blue was the first black woman to ever sing the fully staged role in Italy at the Teatro alla Scala. She also opened the Metropolitan Opera season as Bess in a new production by George Gershwin Porgy and bess and these appearances followed her internationally acclaimed debut in French opera and her role debut as Floria Tosca at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. She is currently singing the role of Violetta Valéry in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production La traviata.
Wharton Arts’ annual gala is a lavish cocktail party featuring student performances and a live auction over a three-course dinner. The gala will be held at the Westmount Country Club, 728 Rifle Camp Road in Woodland Park, NJ. To attend the gala and support Wharton Arts, including its silent auction, please visit WhartonArtsGala.org.
The prestigious Wharton Arts Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic merit to the performing arts throughout their lives and who are a beacon of inspiration for Wharton Arts students. We are honored that Angel Blue accepts the award at the annual event celebrating Wharton’s thriving, life-changing performing arts education programs. At the event, Ms. Blue will perform Puccini’s O mio babbino caro as well as collaborations with students of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, the New Jersey Youth Symphony and the Paterson Music Project. Previous Wharton Arts Lifetime Achievement recipients have included Jamie Bernstein, John Debney and Paul Shaffer.
Peter H. Gistelinck, Executive Director of Wharton Arts, shared his enthusiasm for the awardee, saying, “Angel Blue is not only an amazing, internationally recognized and celebrated opera singer with tremendous credentials, but also represents the tenacity and courage that is necessary , to carry on professional world of classical music. Her background and journey through life are a testament to that and she is definitely a role model for all of us.”
“I am honored to be recognized with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from Wharton Arts, an organization I admire for its work and creative mission to provide accessible, quality performing arts education that inspires personal growth and builds stronger communities,” said Angel Blue, Grammy Award-winning soprano. “I’m really looking forward to spending time with young musicians and guests at the gala.”
About angel blue
Grammy-winning opera singer Angel Blue has emerged over the past few seasons as one of the most important sopranos in the public eye today. With historical performances as Violetta in Verdi, she has taken the opera world by storm La traviata. Despite being told this would never happen, Ms Blue became the first black woman to sing the fully staged role in Italy at the Teatro alla Scala on March 12, 2019.
On 23 September 2019 she opened the Metropolitan Opera’s 2019/2020 season as Bess in a new production by George Gershwin Porgy and bess. These performances followed her internationally acclaimed debut in French opera and her role debut as Floria Tosca at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in July 2019.
She has also been acclaimed for performances at many other theaters such as the Vienna State Opera, Semperoper Dresden, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Theater an der Wien, Oper Frankfurt and San Diego Opera. In the current season, Ms. Blue will appear in concert at the Carmel Bach Festival and at galas in St. Petersburg and Santa Fe. For more information on Angel Blue, visit https://angeljoyblue.com.
About Wharton Arts
Wharton Arts is New Jersey’s largest independent nonprofit community performing arts education center serving nearly 2,000 students in a variety of classes and ensembles. The 5 Ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, an audition choral ensemble program for students in grades 3-12, encourages a love and appreciation of choral music while encouraging personal growth and creative development. Serving over 500 students in grades 3 through 12 in auditions, the 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony inspire young people to achieve musical excellence through ensemble training and high-level performance opportunities. The Paterson Music Project, based in Paterson, is an El Sistema-inspired program from Wharton Arts that uses music education as a vehicle for social action, empowering and inspiring young people to reach their full potential through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing. From Pathways courses for toddlers to lifelong learning programs for adults, the Wharton Performing Arts School offers a robust musical theater and drama program and offers both individual and group instrument and vocal classes for all ages and all abilities. With a belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and that performing arts education should be accessible to all regardless of ability to pay, Wharton Arts offers scholarships based on need.
Located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, NJ, Wharton Arts reaches students in 12 counties. All of Wharton Arts’ exceptional teaching artists, faculty members and conductors have degrees in their field and have been screened and trained to enable our students to be their best. For more information visit WhartonArts.org.
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