Penelope Shumate

Style: Opera; Jazz; Folk; Classical; Musical Theatre

Title: Dir. Opera Workshop/Associate Prof. of Voice APSU

Bio: Praised by The New York Times for singing with “bell-like clarity and surpassing sweetness,” The New York Concert Review for “her sparkling coloratura perfection,” and in Opera News magazine, “the mellifluous soprano Penelope Shumate puts her lines across with sincerity and attractive lucidity,” her recent engagements include numerous soprano soloist appearances at Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York. She can be heard as the soprano soloist on “Messiah Refreshed” (Signum Records) recorded at historic Abbey Road Studios with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, as the soprano soloist on “As the fireflies watched . . . chamber music of James M. Stephenson” (Klavier Records), and as the soprano soloist in the upcoming release of La Pasión según San Marcos (Summit Records). She can also be heard in the title role of “Kassandra” (Parma/Navona Records), a new opera for which she also created the role in the world premiere at Opera in the Heights. She also presented the opera at the National Opera Association’s national convention and at the College Music Society’s regional convention. This 2024-2025 Season marks Dr. Shumate’s twentieth soloist appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York City where she will perform as the soprano soloist in One World by Sir Karl Jenkins. Other New York soloist performances at Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center include performing as the soprano soloist in Messiah by Handel, Carmina Burana by Orff, Kindness by Hayes, and Requiem by Mozart, Verdi, and Rutter, Stabat Mater by Mealor, Missa Sancti Nicolai by Haydn, and the Coronation Mass by Mozart with Distinguished Concerts International New York. Her additional upcoming and recent professional soloist debuts and return engagements include appearing with Paducah Symphony Orchestra in Mahler's Symphony No. 4 and Orff’s Carmina Burana in Paducah, Kentucky, with Lansing Symphony Orchestra in Carmina Burana in Lansing, Michigan, with Alabama Symphony Orchestra in Messiah in Birmingham, Alabama, with Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival in Bach’s cantata Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with Gateway Chamber Orchestra in La Pasión según San Marcos by Golijov, Symphony No. 2 by Mahler, Magnificat by Bach, and Gloria by Zelenka, in Clarksville, Tennessee, with Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, with Rapides Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, with Opéra Louisiane as Hélène in Hell's Bell (Le Timbre d'Argent) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and with Muddy River Opera as Gilda in Rigoletto, Violetta in La Traviata and Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore in Quincy, Illinois. Her “Bach to Broadway” recital performances include appearing at Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church 2025 Concert Series and recently at Clarksville’s Roxy Theatre and the First Presbyterian Church. Also in Chicago for the 2025 National Classical Singer convention she will be featured as a Masterclass clinician, performer, presenter, and judge. As a professional opera singer her performed roles also include Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore, Pamina and Papagena in The Magic Flute, Micaëla in Carmen, Laurie in The Tender Land, Hélène in Hell’s Bell (Le Timbre d’Argent), Annabella and the Aunt in Helen, Violetta in La Traviata, Galatea in Acis and Galatea, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Musetta in La Bohème, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Hanna in The Merry Widow, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Lisa in Sonnambula, Miss Silverpeal in The Impressario, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, among many others. As a professional concert soloist, she has performed Messiah, The Creation, Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven), La Pasión según San Marcos, Carmina Burana, Magnificat (Bach and Vivaldi), Te Deum (Dvořák), Symphony No. 2 (Mahler), Requiem (Mozart, Verdi, Fauré, Rutter), Missa in Tempore Belli, Benedicite, Dona Nobis Pacem, Stabat Mater (Mealor), Ein Deutsches Requiem, Elijah, Theresienmesse, St. Nicolai Mass, Coronation Mass, and Dixit Dominus (Vivaldi), among others. She has performed with opera companies and orchestras across America including Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Roanoke, Des Moines Metro Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Annapolis Opera, Opera on the James, Opera in the Heights, Opéra Louisiane, Muddy River Opera Company, Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, Oklahoma Philharmonic, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Heartland Festival Orchestra, Gateway Chamber Orchestra, Rapides Symphony Orchestra, Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, Berkshire Choral Festival, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Kennett Symphony Orchestra, among many others. She is an award winner with the Gerda Lissner Foundation, The American Prize, the Camille Coloratura Awards, the MacAllister Awards, the Marie E. Crump Vocal Arts Competition, the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera Vocal Competition, and the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, among others. As the Opera Director at APSU, her credits include The Magic Flute by Mozart, Gallantry by Moore, and A Game of Chance by Barab. Her production of Cendrillon by Viardot, for which she was a national finalist in stage direction with the American Prize, was the first opera sung in French in the history of the APSU Opera program. She also directed the opera scenes concerts “American Opera Adventures,” “Baroque Blast,” “Operetta Opulence,” and “Belle Voci.” Prior to APSU, she served as the Director of Opera Workshop and Associate (Tenured) Professor of Voice where she also taught Applied Voice, Vocal Literature, Vocal Pedagogy, and English/Latin/Italian/ German/French Lyric Diction. At WIU, she won the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative/ Performance/Professional Activities and was a two-time winner of the College of Fine Arts and Communications Dean’s Award for Excellence in Creative/Performing Activity. Visit www.penelopeshumate.com to learn more about her performing, directing, and teaching.

Voice Type: Soprano

Music Styles Taught: Opera; Jazz; Folk; Classical; Musical Theatre

Availability: I am available as a performer; I am available as a clinician or presenter; I accept students through a college or university program

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