Katherine Pracht Phares, mezzo-soprano, comes to BGSU with twenty years of professional singing experience in opera, recital, and oratorio performances. She champions contemporary opera and much of her recent professional activity is in this genre. Katy is currently a student in the DMA in Contemporary Music program at BGSU.

The 2022-23 season featured several premieres for the busy mezzo. Pracht performed Madeleine in Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers with Opera on the Avalon, returned to West Edge Opera for her first Cornelia in Giulio Cesare, and workshopped two new operas, Bulrusher, and Laura Kaminsky’s February. She then debuted Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Quad-City Symphony, as well as the role of Mary Johnson in Virginia Opera’s production of Fellow Travelers. In October, Pracht creates the role of Helen in Kaminsky’s next world premiere opera February at Opera on the Avalon in St. John's, Newfoundland; and she looks forward to another exciting announcement coming soon! 

2021 engagements included a world premiere and cast recording as Horatio in Joseph Summer’s Hamlet at the Dohodno Zdanie Theater in Ruse, Bulgaria, and a reprisal of the title role in Kevin Puts’ opera, Elizabeth Cree with West Edge Opera. Katy also won outstanding reviews as Miss Jessel in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw with IlluminArts in Miami. The 2019 season also had important role debuts: Charlotte in A Little Night Music with Madison Opera, Ottavia in L'incoronazione di Poppea with Florentine Opera, Kate Julian in Britten’s rarely heard Owen Wingrave with Little Opera Theatre of NY, Duruflé’s Requiem with the Washington Chorus, and Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges with Opera Philadelphia.

Other recent credits are Glenda (cover) in We Shall Not Be Moved with Opera Philadelphia;  Philip Glass' Symphony No. 5 for Trinity Wall Street; Lady Wang in Bright Sheng’s Dream of the Red Chamber in Changsha, Beijing, and Wuhan, China; Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky with York Symphony; and her premiere as Elizabeth Cree with Chicago Opera Theater, where the Chicago Tribune said “Katherine Pracht brought a mezzo of size and quality, and confident dramatic presence, to the complicated title role.” 

Ms. Pracht appeared as Mariam in the AOP-sponsored workshop of Sheila Silver’s opera, A Thousand Splendid Suns, sang A Bernstein Marathon and Arias & Barcarolles with Steven Blier and Michael Barrett (New York Festival of Song) at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’ Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man and the world premiere of Sing! The Music Was Given at Carnegie Hall, and Stravinsky’s Requiem Canticles with The Orchestra NOW at the Bard Festival under the baton of Leon Botstein. She returned to that Bard Festival in Rimsky-Korsakov’s From Homer with the American Symphony Orchestra, and as Dunyasha in The Tsar’s Bride.  Katy performed Bernstein’s Arias and Barcarolles with Bright Sheng and Michael Barrett for The Intimacy of Creativity 2017 Festival in Hong Kong. Her Kennedy Center debut was as Mezzo soloist in Philip Glass' Symphony No. 5 with the Washington Chorus.

Katy has performed and workshopped many roles in new works: Florence Williams in Susan Kander’s The News From Poems, Hester Prynne in Eric Sawyer's The Scarlet Professor; Eve in Julian Wachner and Cerise Jacobs’ Rev 23 for the Prototype Festival, Sharon Falconer in Elmer Gantry with Florentine Opera and Ariel in the world premiere of Joseph Summer’s The Tempest for The Shakespeare Concerts in Boston recorded by Albany Records. In concert she sang Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the York Symphony, and Lieberson’s Neruda Songs with Grand Rapids Symphony. Pracht made her Carnegie Hall debut as Alto Soloist in Verdi's Requiem, her debut with Opera Philadelphia as Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte, twice sang Der Trommler in Der Kaiser von Atlantis for Central City Opera with the Colorado Symphony and for Chicago’s New Millennium Orchestra, sang Meg in Little Women directed by David Gately for Opera on the James, and two concerts with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus singing John Corigliano’s Fern Hill and Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky.

With more than two decades experience as a vocal coach, collaborative pianist, choral conductor, and organist, Kevin J. Bylsma is a musician of impressive depth and ability, well known for his work in opera, art song, and oratorio. A longtime member of the Toledo Opera staff, Mr. Bylsma is currently the Head of Music Preparation and Chorus Master, and was recently names Co-Artistic Director with the company. He was formerly Music Director of the Department of Community Programs for the Michigan Opera Theatre and vocal coach, accompanist, and chorus master for OPERA! Lenawee. In recitals and master classes he has collaborated with the great American singers Samuel Ramey, Diane Soviero, Marilyn Horne, Dawn Upshaw, Michelle De Young, Irina Mishura, Katherine Lewek, and Jennifer Rowley. He is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of the Ann Arbor Festival of Song, and, for the past twenty-eight years, he has served the historic Mariners’ Church of Detroit as Associate Organist and Choirmaster.

Dedicated to the education and training of the next generation of operatic talent, Mr. Bylsma is Coordinator of Opera and Repetiteur at Bowling Green State University’s College of Musical Arts, responsible for vocal coaching and serving as a collaborative pianist for the school’s large body of young singers. Mr. Bylsma also served on the artistic staff of OperaWorks, an intensive opera training program, based in Los Angeles, CA.

A native of Grand Rapids, MI, Mr. Bylsma received his musical training at Calvin College, Bowling Green State University, and the University of Michigan—where he received the Robert Glasgow Organ Scholarship.

Zigeunermelodien, Op. 55 (1880)

1. Mein Lied ertönt, ein Liebespsalm,
    beginnt der Tag zu sinken,
    und wenn das Moos, der welke Halm
    Tauperlen heimlich trinken.

    Mein Lied ertönt voll Wanderlust,
    wenn wir die Welt durchwallen,
    nur auf der Puszta weitem Plan
    kann froh mein Sang erschallen.

    Mein Lied ertönt voll Liebe auch,
    wenn Heidestürme toben;
    wenn sich befreit zum letzten Hauch
    des Bruders Brust gehoben!

1. My song resounds, a psalm of love,
    When day begins to fade,
    And when the moss and withered grass
    Secretly drink in pearls of dew.

    My song resounds full of wanderlust,
    As we journey through the world,
    Only on my wide native plains
    Can my song ring out happily.

    My song is also full of love,
    As storms rage across the heath,
    And my friend breathes his last
    And frees himself from pain!

2. Ei, wie mein Triangel wunderherrlich läutet!
    Wie Zigeunerlieder, wenn zum Tod man schreitet!
    Wenn Triangelklänge mich zum Tod begleiten,
    ist's mit Tanz und Liedern aus für alle Zeiten!
    Lieder, Reigen, Liebe aus für alle Zeiten.

2. Hey! How my triangle rings out in splendor!
    Like gypsy songs when we approach death!
    When the triangle’s song accompanies me to the grave,
    there will be no more singing and dancing!
    Songs, dances, love gone for all time.

3. Rings ist der Wald so stumm und still,
    das Herz schlägt mir so bange;
    der schwarze Rauch sinkt tiefer stets,
    die Träne trocknend meiner Wange.

    Doch meine Träne trockne nicht,
    sollst anders wohin wehen!
    Wer auch im Schmerz noch singen kann,
    der lebt, nicht wird sein Lied vergehen!

3. All around the woods are so still and silent,
    My heart beats so fearfully;
    The black smoke sinks ever deeper
    Drying the tears on my cheek.

    But do not dry my tears,
    You shall blow in other places!
    He who can sing while grieving,
    Still lives, and his song will not fade!

4. Als die alte Mutter mich noch lehrte singen,
    sonderbar, daß Tränen ihr am Auge hingen.
    Jetzt die braunen Wangen netzen mir die Zähren,
    wenn ich will die Kinder Sang und Spielen lehren!

4. When my old mother taught me songs to sing,
    Tears would well strangely in her eyes.
    Now my brown cheeks are wet with tears,
    When I teach the children how to sing and play!

5.  Reingestimmt die Saiten!
    Bursche tanz' im Kreise!
    Heute froh, überfroh noch Heute,
    Morgen trüb' nach alter Weise!

    Nächsten Tag am Nilstrand,
    der den Vätern heilig,
    reingestimmt, reingestimmt die Saiten,
    in den Tanz, in den Tanz spring eilig!

5. Take your bow and strike up!
    Come and join the round dance, my lad!
    Be happy today, abundantly so,
    And sad tomorrow – it was ever thus!

    Next day on the banks of the Nile,
    Sacred to our fathers.
    Take your bow and strike up,
    Hasten to the dance!

6. In dem weiten, breiten, luft'gen Leinenkleide
    freier der Zigeuner als in Gold und Seide.
    Ja! der gold'ne Dolman schnürt die Brust zu enge,
    hemmt des freien Liedes wanderfrohe Klänge.
    Und wir freue findet aller lied erschallen
    lässt das Gold das Schnüde in die hölle fallen!

6. In his loose-fitting and airy linen clothes
    The gypsy feels freer than in silk and gold!
    Yes! The golden dolman constricts his breast,
    Smothers the happily wandering strains of his free song.
    And we rejoice when these songs resound,
    And the gold and the waste fall into hell.

7. Darf des Falken Schwinge Tatrahöh'n umrauschen,
    wird das Felsennest nicht er mit dem Käfig tauschen.
    Kann das wilde Fohlen jagen durch die Heide,

    wird's an Zaum und Zügel finden keine Freude.
    Hat Natur Zigeuner etwas dir gegeben,
    ja zur Freiheit schuf sie mir das ganze Leben.

7. As long as the falcon can fly above the Tatra mountains,
    He will never exchange his rocky nest for a cage.
    If the wild foal can race across the heath,

    He’ll find no pleasure in bridle and reins.
    If, O gypsy, nature has given you something,
    She has given me freedom all my life.

English translation © Richard Stokes and K. Pracht

 

Le Bestiare (1919) Francis Poulenc

1. Le Dromadaire

    Avec ses quatre dromadaires
    Don Pedro d’Alfaroubeira
    Courut le monde et l’admira
    Il fit ce que je voudrais faire
    Si j’avais quatre dromadaires.

1. The Dromedary (camel)

    With his four dromedaries
    Don Pedro d’Alfaroubeira
    Roamed the world and admired it.
    He did what I would like to do
    If I had four dromedaries too.

2. La chèvre du Thibet

    Les poils de cette chèvre et même
    Ceux d’or pour qui prit tant de peine
    Jason ne valent rien au prix
    Des cheveux dont je suis épris.

2. The Tibetan goat

    The hair of this goat and even
    The golden hair that so preoccupied
    Jason, cannot match
    The head of hair I’m smitten with.    

3. La sauterelle

    Voici la fine sauterelle
    La nourriture de Saint Jean
    Puissent mes vers être comme elle
    Le régal des meilleures gens.

3. The grasshopper

    Behold the delicate grasshopper,
    The food Saint John was wont to eat.
    May my verses likewise be
    A feast for the elite.

4. Le dauphin

    Dauphins, vous jouez dans la mer,
    Mais le flot est toujours amer.
    Parfois, ma joie éclate-t-elle?
    La vie est encore cruelle.

4. The dolphin

    Dolphins, you play in the sea,
    Though the waves are briny.
    Does my joy at times erupt?
    Life is still cruel.

5. L’écrevisse

    Incertitude, ô mes délices
    Vous et moi nous nous en allons
    Comme s’en vont les écrevisses,
    À reculons, à reculons.

5. The crayfish

    Uncertainty, O! my delights
    You and I we progress
    As crayfish progress,
    Backwards, backwards

6. La carpe

    Dans vos viviers, dans vos étangs,
    Carpes, que vous vivez longtemps!
    Est-ce que la mort vous oublie,
    Poissons de la mélancolie.

6. The carp

    In your pools, in your ponds,
    Carp, how you live for eons!
    Does death forget you,
    Fish of melancholy?

English translation © Richard Stokes

 

The Bernstein Set

I had the great fortune to prepare some of Bernstein’s vocal music with two Bernstein specialists, pianists Michael Barrett and Steven Blier for concerts with the New York Festival of Song. The following set is a smattering of favorite selections from those concerts.

The musical version of Wonderful Town was written in 4 weeks in 1953 by Leonard Bernstein with songwriting/lyricist team Betty Comden & Adolph Green. The story features two sisters from Columbus, Ohio, who come to New York in the mid-1930's trying to fulfill their dreams of becoming a writer and a dancer.

“The Story of my Life” was written for Wonderful Town but cut from the production. Some say it was too serious for the comedic show…or that it pulled focus from the main characters. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful stand-alone ballad, and a favorite of mine.

“Piccola Serenata” This short piece with music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein was written in 1979 in honor of conductor Karl Böhm’s 85^th birthday. It was premiered by renowned German mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig.

On the Town was composed in 1944 after Bernstein decided a ballet he composed (Fancy Free) should be expanded into a musical with his roommate, lyricist Adolph Green. On the Town is the story of 3 sailors on a 24-hr leave in New York City in war time (WW2). They set out looking for fun women, whom they find.  After 20 hours of club-hopping, 4 characters find themselves on a subway train headed to Coney Island. As their time together draws to a close, they sing this wistful song about fleeting time…they may never see each other again, but they hope that they will. Tonight, we’ll present “Some Other Time” in the arrangement for solo singer.

West Side Story, written by Bernstein and lyricist Stephen Sondheim in 1957, features many of the most iconic songs in musical theater history. From Act 2, “Somewhere” is a song about Tony and Maria’s love against all odds, and an imagined time and place they could remain together.