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The American mezzo-soprano, Mindy Ella Chu, grew up in Northern California where she was brought up in a Cantonese-speaking household. Escaping the hardships from the 1960's Cultural Revolution in China, her parents sought a better life in America and immigrated from Hong Kong to San Francisco - where the two met. She is grateful to them for all they have endured to allow her the opportunity to pursue the arts. Her earliest years were spent learning different musical instruments, singing in choirs, dancing ballet, tap and jazz, as well as Chinese folk dance, and performing in theatre productions. She feels that dance continues to inform her approach to musical expression today. Upon discovering music studies into her second year in college, she quickly embraced the world of classical singing. After completing her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from San Diego State University (2007-2012) and receiving several 1st and 2nd place prizes at local voice competitions, she went on to complete her graduate studies (Master of Music degree) in chamber ensemble and historical performance at Yale University (2013-2015). She was a scholarship winner of the San Diego Musical Merit Foundation Auditions, first-place prize-winner of the Virginia and Susan Hawk Auditions, and San Diego Choral Club Competition. She also attended American Bach Soloists Academy (August 2016); Middlebury College (Summer Language Program in German and Opera Studies: 2014); Universität Mozarteum Salzburg (Summer Vocal Masterclass, Oratorio with Christian Immler: 2017); Boston Early Music Festival (Young Artist Training Program: 2017).
Mindy Ella Chu made her international solo debut in 2015 performing John Rutter's Magnificat and George Frideric Handel's Messiah in Tokyo and Osaka. In 2016, she made her solo debut in Japan, France and the UK. In 2017, she made her Carmel Bach Festival debut as a main stage soloist (June-July 2017). Highlights of the 2018-2019 season include her debut season with Bach Collegium San Diego, a recording project with Stanford University (November 2016-December 2020) and the St. Lawrence String Quartet in the Maurice Duruflé's Requiem, and a performance of Francesca Caccini's Alcina with the GRAMMY award-winning Boston Early Music Chamber Opera Series.
Mindy Ella Chu'’s operatic and stage performing credits include title role in Purcell's Dido & Aeneas, Damigelle in Francesca Caccini's Alcina (first opera written by a woman), Speranza (cover) and ensemble in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, Dorabella in W.A. Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Mei-li in Roger and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, and the American premiere of G.F. Handel's Parnasso in Festa in the title castrati role of Apollo. She also performed in the 2016 Boston Early Music Festival centerpiece opera, Campra's Le Carnaval de Venise, and understudied the main role of Leonoré in her time there as a young artist. At BEMF, she worked with Gilbert Blin, Stephen Stubbs, Paul O'Dette, Melinda Sullivan and Ellen Hargis to cultivate the physical and musical style of the French Baroque.
Her concert highlights include performing as mezzo-soprano soloist in Igor Stravinsky's Mass, J.S. Bach's B-Minor Mass (BWV 232), L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, W.A. Mozart's Great Mass in C & Coronation Mass, Copland American Songs and J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 (and Cantatas BWV 4, BWV 11, BWV 146, BWV 147, BWV 148, BWV 149, BWV 150 and more), J. Rutter's Magnificat, Haydn's Nelson Mass, Ottorino Respighi's Lauda per la Natività del Signore, W.A. Mozart's Requiem (both versions), M. Duruflé's Requiem, Jan Dismas Zelenka's Missa Dei Patris, and G.F. Handel's Messiah and his Judas Maccabeus, for which she was interviewed by PBS as a part of a Religion and Ethics series. As a choral artist, she has performed works such as Julia Wolfe's Anthracite Fields with Bang on a Can All-Stars, J.S. Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245) with JSB Ensemble Stuttgart, Arvo Pärt's Passio with Yale Schola Cantorum, and I. Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms with London Philharmonia Orchestra. She has also performed with ensembles such as American Bach Soloists (January 2016-August 2017; Director: Jeffrey Thomas), Bach Collegium San Diego (since December 2018; Director: Ruben Valenzuela), Apollo's Fire (May 2018-2018; Director: Jeannette Sorrell), The Thirteen, Gaude SF, Voices of Music (June 2018), Cappella SF, Quicksilver, Yale Choral Artists (August 2013-August 2017), San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Tesserae Baroque, San Diego Lyric Opera. In 2017 she made a tour to Europe, where she was heard in L.v. Beethoven’s Mass in C with the Yale Schola Cantorum and Juilliard415. She currently resides in Santa Monica, California and performs with the Los Angeles Master Chorale (since September 2021) and The Industry opera.
Mindy Ella Chu was a part of the 2018 American Voices CD Release Tour with Santa Fe Desert Chorale. She has recorded solo vocals for Disneyland Hong Kong (October-November 2017). Discography credits include: “Duruflé Requiem” (Stanford University), "Fauré and other Sacred Works" (Hyperion), "Palestrina's Missa Confitebor tibi Domini" (Hyperion) and "Bach: Motets for Double Chorus" (American Bach Soloists Label). Chu was heard live in performance on BBC Radio 3 in the UK and WQXR New York City. |
