Holiday Favorites

American Soprano Alicia Gianni, whose performances have been described as “charming, impressive” and “powerfully real,” has enjoyed successes on both operatic and concert stages, including nominations for Houston’s Best Jazz Vocalist by the Houston Press 2011 Music Awards. Such nominations have followed concerts in Las Vegas for T-Mobile, Magic Johnson, and The Late Late Show’s Craig Ferguson.

In her most recent performance and role debut as Petra in Houston Grand Opera’s A Little Night Music, critics acclaimed, “with her thrilling rendition of “The Miller’s Son,” Alicia Gianni as Petra stole the highpoint of the second act…celebrating lustiness, experience, and adventure, and Gianni finished her emphatic phrases with long, non-vibrato belting. She was absolutely thrilling in every respect.” (Theodore Bale, Culture Map 2014) Others hailed, “Gianni inhabits the earthy, saucy serving girl Petra; she scores a knockout with her dynamic rendition of her provocative “The Miller’s Son,” (Everett Evans, Houston Chronicle 2014) or “Gianni enlivens the strange role of Petra, a kind of lady-in-waiting, with a sublimely earthy, world-weary nobility, especially in her Act II number about the course of any marriage.” (John DeMers, Houston Arts Week 2014).

Ms. Gianni began this season with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in concerts featuring Song to the Moon from Rusalka, All The Things You Are, and Victor Herbert’s Art is Calling For Me. She was also involved in special performances of HGO Co’s The Passenger Series, performing as the soprano soloist in such works as Jake Heggie’s Farewell Auschwitz in Music of Memory and Hope: A concert of Remembrance and Joy, and songs by Viktor Ullmann in From Terezín.

The Washington Post acclaimed Ms. Gianni’s debut as Despina in Così fan tutte with Wolf Trap Opera as “firm and sparkly.” Performances of both Fortuna/Giunone in Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria followed shortly after, concluding the season with Portuguese songs by Villa Lobos in a collaborative recital titled The Pursuit of Love with Steven Blier. In 2009, she sang the role of Beryl and covered Elizabeth Futral in the role of Laura Jesson during the world premiere of André Previn’s Brief Encounter with Houston Grand Opera. She sang the role of Laura during the original workshop, performing for Mr. Previn, librettist/director John Caird, and conductor Patrick Summers. Ms. Gianni can be heard on the recording of this premiere, released by Deutsche Grammophon in 2011.

In her debut with the Houston Grand Opera, Ms. Gianni sang Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, followed by her appearance as the Rooster/Jay in The Cunning Little Vixen. She also made her debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra where she was featured in a 2007 New Year’s Eve performance under the baton of conductor Randall Craig Fleischer, and again in 2008 performing Kapilow’s Green Eggs and Ham as part of the symphony’s Children’s Series. Ms. Gianni was heard in Die Zauberflöte as an “aurally wonderful evil hag who turns into a lively Papagena” (Houston Chronicle), covering Pamina in the same production. In addition, she was heard as Musetta in La Bohème in the end of that season. As a studio member, she covered Ana Maria Martinez as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, was showcased in scenes as Mimi in La Boheme, Stella in A Street Car Named Desire, 2nd Niece in Peter Grimes, and Héro in Béatrice et Bénédict, and sang recitals in both the Rienzi and Taste This series in Houston, directed by Kathleen Kelly.

While a member of Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artist Program, Ms. Gianni made her debut as the Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto. She was featured in scenes as Nedda in Pagliacci, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, performed in recitals with pianist Scott Gilmore, and sang for master classes given by Evelyn Lear, Thomas Stewart, and Ms. Virgina Zeani.

In performances as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with conductor Mischa Santora, she was hailed as “a standout…delivering Come scoglio with convincing defiance, “ and “traversed a range of emotions with impressive coloratura.” (Cincinnati Enquirer). The Cincinnati Post raved, “Gianni displayed a remarkable voice…warm and strong at both ends…Fra gli amplessi was the single most beautiful moment in the opera.” During the summer festival in Torre del Lago, Italy, Ms. Gianni was heard as the title role in a concert performance of Puccini’s Suor Angelica, and during the study of her Artist Diploma at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, she performed Micaëla in Carmen, Ms. Poe in The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe, Infantin Klara in Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg, and Zillergut in The Good Soldier Schweik.

While earning her Bachelor’s in Music degree at the University of Washington, Ms Gianni was heard as Mařenka in The Bartered Bride, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Elisetta in Il Matrimonio Segreto, and Dido in Dido and Aeneas. She was also featured in scenes as Arabella in Arabella and Marzelline in Fideleo. Her concert work includes the Brahms Requiem, Mozart’s C Minor Mass with the Hickory, NC Choral Society and Orchestra, and the Mozart Requiem with the Palm Beach Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and the Florida West Coast Symphony.
Musical theater credits include Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly, Polly Baker in Gershwin’s Crazy For You, scenes from Show Boat (Magnolia and Julie), The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, Annie, and both danced and sang in Cinemagic and 100 Years of Broadway at the Clyde Theater in WA.

Ms. Gianni was the winner of the Advanced Division of the Seattle District NATS competition in 2003, received 1st place in CCM’s Corbett Scholarship Competition in 2004 and again in 2005 she won 3rd place. In 2006, she respectively earned both 2nd Place and Audience Choice titles in the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition, was a regional finalist in the Metropolitan National Council Auditions in both 2006 and 2007, and a Sara Tucker Grant nominee in 2007 and 2011.

Stillwater, Minnesota native, Jack Swanson, is a lyric tenor currently studying Vocal Performance at Rice University in Houston, TX.  In 2014, he joined the prestigious Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program where he sang the role of the 1st Japanese Envoy in Stravinsky’s “Le Rossignol.”  He performed several leading roles while pursuing his undergraduate degree at The University of Oklahoma, including: Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Fenton in Falstaff and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni.  Jack was a young artist with the Seagle Music Colony for two summers, performing the title role in Britten’s comedic opera Albert Herring.  Jack has won several competitions and in 2015 has placed First in Florida Grand Opera's Young Patroness Competition, The San Antonio Music Club competition and the National Opera Association.  He is already building quite an impressive resume for someone so young.  Concert credits include the entirety of Handel’s “Messiah” and the tenor role in Dubois’ “The Seven Last Words of Christ.”  He is a student of the renowned voice teacher Stephen King.