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The American mezzo-soprano, Janelle DeStefano, obtained her and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, with honors, from University of California Santa Cruz; her Master of Music degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College;.and her Doctorate in Musical Arts, with honors, from University of Southern California. As an undergraduate, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and in 2010, was she was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. She was Prize Winner of San Diego District at Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (2001-2002 & 2002-2003); Pierson Fellow of San Diego Opera Ensemble (2003-2004).
Janelle DeStefano enjoys the entire gamut of classical singing, from opera and oratorio to recital and chamber music. Praised for her “passionate delivery” and “rich seamless voice,” she has rendered dramatic performances in such diverse concert works as the Monteverdi Vespers, J.S. Bach’s B minor Mass (BWV 232), George Frideric Handel's Dixit Dominus, Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4, Ottorino Respighi's Laud to the Nativity, Zeisl’s Hebrew Requiem, Szymanowsky’s Stabat Mater and the USA premiere of Péter Eötvös' Schiller: Energische Schoenheit. She has been featured in concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; Jacaranda Music at the Edge, El Mundo; Bach Collegium San Diego (Director: Ruben Valenzuela); and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Equally comfortable on the opera stage, her roles include Romeo in I Capuletti e i Montecchi; Dido in Dido and Aeneas; and the title role in Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia.
Of her recent performances in the J.S. Bach's B minor Mass (BWV 232), Stage and Cinema called it “saving the best for last,” and raved that “DeStefano soared into the heavens during her performance of the ‘Agnus Dei.’” Ken Herman (San Diego Story) wrote that she “found poetry in the composer’s unrelenting florid roulades”, and that her “unflinching command of the beautifully-shaped line was impressive.” LA Opus called her performance in J.S. Bach's St John’s Passion (BWV 245), “truly exceptional” and “superior to most other performances elsewhere.”
A personal interest in zarzuela and Spanish art song led to Janelle DeStefano's European debut as part of the 2007 International Festival of Interpretation of Spanish Song in Granada, Spain, as well as a featured performance in the Spanish art song concert series for the 2008 Mannes Summer Institute in New York City. Her appearances with the Grammyî®ominated early music ensemble, El Mundo for the San Diego Early Music Society and the Da Camera Society received critical acclaim. Her portrayal of the gypsy, Maria, in La Alegria de la Huerta at the Jarvis Zarzuela Festival (available on DVD) was hailed as the "pick of the Chueca" by Zarzuela.net.
Janelle DeStefano also appears as a soloist on the 2012 CD release of “The Dream Gallery: Seven California Portraits” by Mark Abel on the Delos Label; and as a member of the Grammy®-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale, she appears on the 2012 release of Górecki: Miserere (Decca), and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2014 recording of Adams: The Gospel According to the Other Mary (Deutsche Grammophon).
A passionate teacher, Janelle DeStefano is a Professor of Voice at Santa Monica College (since July 2010), where she also serves as Artistic Director for the SMC Opera, and coordinator of vocal activities. Prior to joining the SMC faculty, she taught music and voice for over two decades at collegiate and community music schools including the USC Thornton School, UC Santa Cruz, and the University of San Diego, as well as in her own private studio. Sought after for her gentle, yet disciplined methods, her students are currently performing on Broadway, and in major opera houses across the United States. She is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO (AGMA).
Janelle DeStefano currently makes her home in West Los Angeles, with her loving husband and their daughter, Graziana. |
