Feldman, Jill

Feldman, Jill, esteemed American soprano; b. Los Angeles, April 21, 1952. She studied with Michael Ingham at the Univ. of Calif, at Santa Barbara (B.A. in musicology, 1975), Lillian Lor an in San Francisco (1975–95), Andrea von Ramm in Basel (1980–81), and Nicole Fallien (1987–91) and Anna Maria Bondi (1992–93) in Paris. In 1977 she made her recital debut in Berkeley, returning there in 1978 to make her first appearance as a soloist with the Univ. of Calif. Orch. In 1979 she made her operatic debut in the role of La Musica in Orfeo in Berkeley, and then made her European operatic debut in 1980 as Clerio in Cavalli’s Erismena in Spoleto. In 1981 she became a leading member of William Christie’s Les Arts Florissants in Paris, where she won acclaim in the title role of Charpentier’s Medee at the Salle Playel in 1983. In 1986 she made her first appearance with the Philharmonia Baroque Orch. under Nicholas McGegan’s direction. She appeared in recital at London’s Wigmore Hall in 1987, and returned to England in 1988 to sing with the Taverner Players under Andrew Parrott’s direction at the Bath Festival. In 1990 she was engaged as a soloist in Haydn’s Die Schopfung under Frans Bruggen’s direction at the Flanders Festival and the Utrecht Festival. She gave solo recitals in Boston, Geneva, and Paris in 1995. Feldman’s superb vocal gifts are complemented by her expert knowledge of early music performance practice. Her repertoire ranges from the medieval to Romantic periods, and includes works by Hildegard von Bingen, Monteverdi, Charpentier, Cavalli, Purcell, Cesti, Handel, Campra, Rameau, Mozart, and Meyerbeer.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire