UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — British dramatic soprano Jane Eaglen will visit the Penn State School of Music to present a masterclass for undergraduate and graduate voice students at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, in Esber Recital Hall. A famed professional opera singer, Eaglen is currently a faculty member at the New England Conservatory of Music. She was the recipient of the 2003 Grammy Award for her work as Elizabeth in Wagner's "Tannhäuser," conducted by Daniel Barenboim. The event is free and open to the public.
Eaglen has enjoyed one of the most formidable reputations in opera for the past two decades. Her performances in roles such as Isolde in "Tristan und Isolde," the title roles in Puccini’s "Turandot," Bellini’s "Norma," Strauss’ "Ariadne auf Naxos," and Brünnhilde in Wagner’s "Der Ring des Nibelungen," have earned her acclaim on stages of the leading opera houses of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Teatro alla Scala, Vienna State Opera, and l’Opera National de Paris.
Other notable roles in her repertoire include the title roles of "Tosca" (English National Opera as well as in Argentina, Australia, and Japan), "La Gioconda" (English National Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago), Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni" (Bavarian State Opera, English National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, etc.), and Amelia in "Un Ballo in Maschera" (Paris and Bologna).
She has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta (“Immolation” scene from "Götterdämmerung" and the final scene from Strauss’s "Salome"), Chicago Symphony conducted by Daniel Barenboim (Strauss’s "Four Last Songs"), Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink (“Immolation” scene from "Götterdämmerung"), Orchestra of Santa Cecilia conducted by Daniele Gatti (Verdi "Requiem"), Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 conducted by Klaus Tennstedt, Schoenberg’s "Gurre-Lieder" conducted by Claudio Abbado for the Salzburg and Edinburgh festivals, plus concert performances of "Die Walküre" and "Götterdämmerung" with the Gurzenich Orchestra of Cologne conducted by James Conlon.
Eaglen’s extensive discography includes a number of solo albums for Sony Classical: “Arias by Wagner and Bellini;” “Arias by Strauss and Mozart;” “Strauss’ Four Last Songs” (which includes Wagner’s "Wesendonck Lieder" and Berg’s "Seven Early Songs"), and “Italian Opera Arias.” The complete recording of Wagner’s "Tannhäuser" conducted by Daniel Barenboim for Teldec earned her a Grammy Award. She may also be heard in recordings of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 conducted by Riccardo Chailly for Decca, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 conducted by Claudio Abbado for Sony Classical, "Tosca" for Chandos, "Norma" conducted by Riccardo Muti for EMI, and the title role in "Medea in Corinto" for Opera Rara. Her voice is also featured on Sony Classical’s soundtrack for the film adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility."
For her services to the arts, Eaglen was honored by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005 and by the Licia Albanese–Puccini Foundation with their Baccarat Award in 2008. She received an honorary doctor of music from McGill University, doctor of the university by Bishop Grossteste University College in Lincoln, England, and as an honorary member of the Wagner Society of Northern California and the Ohio Wagner Society.
While continuing to perform, Eaglen is active as a teacher. She joined the voice faculty of New England Conservatory (NEC) in 2013. In addition to her full-time teaching role there, she is co-founder and artistic director of the Wagner Intensive summer program held at Baldwin-Wallace University Conservatory of Music, where she served as a faculty member prior to her arrival at NEC. She has also served as artist in residence at the University of Washington’s School of Music and principal vocal instructor for the Young Artist Program of the Seattle Opera. She teaches periodically at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice, and returns annually to teach and mentor young artists for the Merola Program at the San Francisco Opera.