Deborah Raymond

Style: Opera; Classical

Title: Associate Professor Emerita

Bio:

Soprano Deborah Raymond made her critically acclaimed debut as Salomé at the Semper Opera in Dresden/Germany in Joachim Herz's production which was televised throughout Europe.

OpernWelt wrote: "Deborah Raymond's voice culminates in a rapturous top. One has seldom experienced such a sensitive princess since Cebotari". Subsequently Ms. Raymond has performed the role of Salome in other German theaters, with Utah Opera, Opera Carolina, Arizona Opera, Des Moines Opera, and covered Catherine Malfitano in the Luc Bondy production in Chicago, as well as Maria Ewing in the Peter Hall production in San Francisco.

Other roles sung in Europe include: Marie in Wozzeck; Tatiana in Eugene Onegin (in Russian in Minsk, Alexander Anissimov conducting); Gerhilde in Die Walküre in such theaters as Deutsche Oper Berlin, Stadttheater Aachen, Opera Forum of Enschede/NL, The Netherlands Opera, and Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels.

In the USA her roles have been: Nedda in I Pagiacci with Virginia Opera and Florentine Opera; Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly with Mobile Opera and Nevada Opera; Mimi in La Boheme with Indianapolis Opera, Opera North Carolina, Nevada Opera, and Midland Symphony; Donna Elvira with Arizona Opera; Tosca with Sacramento Opera, Nevada Opera, Pamiro Opera, and Midland Symphony.

Of her Tosca one critic wrote, “Though Raymond’s voice is more rounded, less reedy, she often reminded me of the legendary Magda Oliviero.” Her Wozzeck Marie with Spoleto USA Festival was a personal triumph. She recorded the role of die Frau in Erwartung with the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, and has performed it in the United States as well.

She was featured as Zoe in Stephen Climax by Hans Zender and as Eine Dirne in the world premiere of Reigen by Philippe Boesmans at the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels directed by Luc Bondy. Later Reigen was revived in Strasbourg and the Théatre du Chatelet in Paris and is available on Compact Disc. The filmed version was seen on television throughout Europe.

She performed regularly in Flagstaff, Arizona with concert pianist Jeffrey Swann; with the Flagstaff Symphony (Verdi Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Barber “Knoxville: Summer of 1915”, Mozart C Minor Mass, Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, Beethoven Ninth Symphony). She has also performed with the Missoula Symphony (Wagner Liebestod), the Sedona Chamber Music Festival (Schoenberg’s Second String Quartet with the Chicago String Quartet), and Master Chorale of Flagstaff (Handel’s Messiah). Her recent staged performance of Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire with Jeffrey Swann and NAU music faculty was a triumph.

Ms. Raymond is Associate Professor Emerita at NAU, having taught there for 19 1/2 years .She is active in National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). Her students have won numerous awards and many are accepted into graduate programs of the best music schools in the country.

After teaching for four summers at Seagle Colony, the oldest summer opera training program in the US, she and her husband, Nando Schellen, founded a program in Italy, “Flagstaff in Fidenza”,which celebrated five years, giving young singers from all over the world the opportunity to receive training and perform entire opera roles with orchestra. Besides teaching voice at the program, she was also Associate Artistic Director and Program Coordinator.

Voice Type: Soprano

Music Styles Taught: Opera; Classical

Availability: I am available as a performer; I am currently accepting private students; I am available as a clinician or presenter

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