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The American mezzo-soprano, Margaret Lias, studied piano with with Eleanor J. Auld in Birmingham, Michigan. She began vocal studies in 1987 at the age of 13 but had already been a student of the Royal School of Church Music curriculum from age 7. As a teenager, she participated in community education studies at Eastman School of Music in Richester, New York (1990-1992) and eventually went on to collegiate course work there as well (1993-1995). Presently, she studies with Rebecca Folsom.
Margaret Lias has been celebrated for her “warm,” “arresting,” and “rich-toned” singing. She made her Boston Symphony Hall debut in 2011 with Handel and Haydn Society (George Frideric Handel's Israel in Egypt). In 2017, she received praise for her Cleveland Orchestra solo debut singing Igor Stravinsky’s Threni: Lamentations of Jeremiah. Select solo appearances in 2019 and 2020 include Boston Baroque (Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria), Princeton Pro Musica (Maurice Duruflé's Requiem), Andover Choral Society (works by Demetrius Spaneas, Gwyneth Walker, Leonard Bernstein, and others), Boston Cecilia (Corigliano's Fern Hill), Salisbury Singers (Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah), and Emmanuel Music (J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor BWV 232). An avid supporter of ensemble work, she was a founding member of The Skylark Vocal Ensemble (2011-June 2015), is a member of Seraphic Fire (February 2014-June 2017), Boston Baroque (since July 2015), Voices of Ascension, Vox Vocal Ensemble, Handel and Haydn Society (since October 2007), and Emmanuel Music (since 2014).
A passionate supporter of Anglican liturgical music, Margaret Lias has been a sought-after cantor for events such as bishop consecrations, priest ordinations, and Holy Week services in major cathedrals and churches in the US (St. John the Divine, New York City, New York (August 2015-March 2016), Trinity Church in the City of Boston, Massachusetts (September 2006-December 2010), and Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Georgia (August 2002-April 2006) and abroad (Westminster Abbey (The Collegiate Church of St. Peter), London, England, and Coventry Cathedral (St. Michael’s Cathedral), Coventry, England.). Presently, she is a core member of Emmanuel Music, ensemble-in-residence at Emmanuel Church, Boston, Massachusetts. June 1, 2020 marked the start of her Postulancy for Holy Orders to the Diaconate in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
Margaret Lias' versatility as a singer allows her the opportunity to collaborate with other soloists to perform master choral works at a very high level easily transitioning from medieval and Baroque music to Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary repertoire. She was a founding member of The Skylark Vocal Ensemble under Matthew Guard. She has performed frequently with Seraphic Fire under Patrick Dupré Quigley, Boston Baroque under Martin Pearlman, Voices of Ascension under Dennis Keene, Sacred Music in a Sacred Space under K. Scott Warren, Emmanuel Music under Ryan Turner, and Musica Sacra New York under Kent Tritle
Margaret Lias belongs to Beyond Artists, a coalition of artists that donates a percentage of their concert fees to organizations they care about. She supports common cathedral and Episcopal Relief and Development through her performances. |
