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The American soprano, Beth Allen-Gardner, earned her Bachelor of Music degree with distinction as a National Merit Scholar from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied with Professor Barbara Ann Peters and Dr. Jeanne Fischer. She won second place as a freshman at the Mid-Atlantic Regional NATS Auditions and first place at the NC Chapter of NATS Auditions during both her junior and senior years at Carolina. She was a Concerto Competition winner, and featured soloist in the UNC Chapel Hill Symphony Orchestra's Spring Benefit Concert. She was recently awarded both the Graduate Dean's Award and the Hester Graduate Fellowship from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is currently earning her Master of Music Performance degree as a student of Dr. Robert Wells (2014-2016). She looks especially forward to spending time this upcoming summer at the Sankt Goar International Music Festival Academy in Sankt Goar, Germany under the direction of Dr. Emilio Pons and a highly acclaimed voice faculty. Her teachers/coaches have included: Dr. Robert Wells, Rosa Lamoreaux, Taina Kataja, Dr. Jeanne Fischer, Barbara Ann Peters/Daniel Taylor, Greg Funfgeld, Brent Wissick, Dr. Teddy Tahu Rhodes. She also attended master-classes with Jill Gardner, Barbara Ann Peters.
A specialist in sacred music, Beth Allen-Gardner is praised for a voice that is "beautiful, fresh-sounding...stylish," "even throughout the range," "warm and generous," and which "moves with ease." Classical Voice of North Carolina has described her singing as "expressive and technically virtuosic." She was a 2014 finalist in the Bach Vocal Competition for American Singers and a 2015 finalist in the Kentucky Bach Choir's Audrey Rooney Vocal Competition, as well as a 2015 semifinalist in the Rochester Oratorio Society's Classical Idol Competition. This past May, she debuted with the Greensboro Choral Society as soprano soloist in George Frideric Handel's Judas Maccabaeus.
Beth Allen-Gardner's other solo performances include W.A. Mozart's Coronation Mass, Gabriel Fauré's Requiem, Charpentier's Messe de Minuit pour Noël, Heinrich Schütz' Musikalische Exequien, Monteverdi's Gloria a 8, G.F. Handel's Messiah, J.S. Bach's Magnificat (BWV 243) and Mass in B-Minor (BWV 232), and Bach Cantatas BWV 150 and Motet BWV 227. On the opera stage, Beth has played Despina in W.A. Mozart's Così fan tutte with UNC Opera and the second sister in Vittorio Giannini's Beauty and the Beast with UNCG Opera. She also recently created the roles of the Unknown Maiden in the world premiere of Chuck Holdeman's opera Young Meister Bach and Eurydice in Kip Nelson's new musical Amamus.
During her 4-year tenure with the renowned Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Beth Allen-Gardner appeared as a recurrent soloist on National Public Radio and WWFM. She has sung in a professional recording of J.S. Bach's St John Passion (BWV 245), as well as the album "Songs of Hope", both on the Analekta label. She has also been soloist for Bel Canto Company, UNCG Chamber Singers, UNC Chamber Singers and Chorale, UNC Collegium Musicum, and the Mebane Community Choir.
Beth Allen-Gardner has worked with conductors/directors: Dr. Welborn Young, Greg Funfgeld, Julian Wachner, Tonu Kalam, Brent Wissick, Susan Klebanow, Sam Doyle, Brent F. Miller, Julie Walker, John Wooten/Dr. Teddy Tahu Rhodes, David Holley.
In addition to presenting recitals and having performed as soloist for several churches, Beth Allen-Gardner owns and manages Beth Allen-Gardner Music Studio, where she teaches both voice and piano. She currently lives in Burlington, North Carolina. |
