EMPOWERED
A Concert for Women. December 16, 2023
Mezzo-Soprano, Michaela Wright, and Pianist, Ledean Williams, present “EMPOWERED”Handel’s “Lucrezia” cantata takes center stage at Timucua Arts in Orlando in conjunction with other works that highlight the struggles, joys, and complexities of what it means to be a woman.
A recital highlighting the experiences of women throughout time takes center stage with Handel, Mahler, Debussy, and Heggie.
Handel’s “Lucrezia” cantata speaks to the #METOO movement using languishing melodies and gloriously heartbreaking vocal lines. Alma Mahler’s “Fünf Lieder” is given the spotlight that Alma’s husband forbade her. Debussy’s “Trois Chansons de Bilitis” uses sensual text from “The Songs of Bilitis” and conversational melodies to portray a woman’s sexual awakening and discovery. Heggie’s playful “Faces of Love,” written entirely for women, explores the themes of motherhood, even in the circumstance that God is your toddling son.
Michaela Wright
Michaela Wright is a Mezzo-Soprano and voice teacher based in Orlando, Florida. Her singing career has taken her around the world, most recently, to Prague, where she performed in the Divadlo na Vinohradech with Opernfest Prague.
She recently made her role debut with Opera Orlando in Baseball: A Musical Love Letter , made her Orlando Fringe debut as Mina in The Bloody Hatchet (Nathan Felix Opera Productions)and was seen as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Opera del Sol at The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, as Igor Stravinsky in the world premiere of Nathan Felix’s ‘No.5’ at Timucua Arts, and as the Alto Soloist for “The Messiah.”. She was also recently seen as Sarah in Stephen Sondheim’s “Company” and Lori Laitman’s “Three Feathers” with Opera Steamboat.
In recent years, has sung the roles of Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo Ed Euridice (The Armory Free Theatre,) The Fox in Janácek’s Cunning Little Vixen (The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts,) Bianca in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia (The Krannert Center,) and performed as the Mezzo Soprano soloist for The Mozart Requiem in Terry Concert Hall. She has also sung in La Boheme (directed by Nathan Gunn and Sarah Wigley,) Pirates of Penzance (Sinfonia da Camara,) Take Flight (a 29-hour reading of the new musical directed by Broadway lyricist, Richard Maltby,) and in a workshop presentation of the new opera, Sensorium Ex (Composed by Paola Prestini and produced by The Beth Morrison Project.)
Over the past few years, Michaela has been involved with numerous New Music festivals including The ARC Project, All Score Urbana’s Community of Song, New Music Mosaic, and New England Conservatory's Virtual Composition Seminar Concert. She has premiered several works including “Internal Monologs” by Jacksonville-based composer, Bob Moore, “I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed” by Brooks Clarke, “Appalachian Lament” by Caleb Wiggins, “Kingdom by the Sea” by Tiffany Adams, “Float” by Serena Ryan, and “Assertion” by Pepijn Streng.
In addition to her work in classical music, Michaela has much experience performing musical theater. She has most recently been seen as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Rebecca in Weird Romance, and Ginger in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Michaela is an experienced and gifted educator as well. She works as a Teaching Artist for A NoteWorthy Music Studio, Central Florida Vocal Arts, and maintains a private studio. During her studies in Illinois, she held a graduate teaching assistantship teaching private voice through the Unit One Music Program.
Michaela holds Master of Music in Opera Performance and Literature from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she studied privately with Jerold Siena. She also holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance and a Minor in Education from Jacksonville University where she studied privately with Dr. Jay Ivey. She currently studies privately with world-renowned Mezzo-Soprano, Michelle DeYoung.
A Concert for Women
A Concert for Women
Ledean began piano study at the age of 7, quickly discovering a love for both piano andchoral music, which developed into a lifelong vocation as a collaborative pianist. Sheattended Florida State University, earning a Bachelor of Music Education degree,studying piano under John Salmon and James Streem. She earned a Masters degree inPiano Pedagogy from Louisiana State University, where she studied with KathleenRountree and Constance Carroll.
Ledean has collaborated with a wide variety of vocalists, choirs, and instrumentalists insolo, choral, chamber, musical theatre, and church settings. She previously held staff accompanist positions with Eastern Shore Choral Society, The Orlando Chorale,Orlando Choral Society, and currently serves as the collaborative pianist for the Symphonic Chorus and Harmonia choir of Orlando Sings. She enjoys performing with high achieving school choral programs throughout the central Florida area, and has collaborated with honor choirs for state, regional, and national ACDA audiences.Ledean also works with the musical theatre department and as a private piano teacher at Windermere Preparatory School.