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The American soprano, Amanda Powell, holds a degree in vocal performance with an opera concentration from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia and a certificate in jazz improvisation from the Jazz in July Institute at the University of Massachusetts (2001).
Amanda Powell is a versatile musician who performs and teaches a wide variety of styles. At home on the opera stage, in the jazz club and in the national church arena, she brings an authenticity and vibrancy to her music that creates profound connections with her audiences. A seasoned educator and workshop leader, she also brings her expansive musical knowledge to communities around the country.
Classical: Early Music, Opera, "Cross-Over Folk" and New Music.
Amanda Powell is praised for her "inspirational and expressive singing" (Classical Candor) and "abundant vocal technique" (ClevelandClassical). She enjoys a diverse performance career including classical, folk, jazz and global music. She appears often as a soloist with Apollo's Fire - Cleveland Baroque Orchestra (Director: Jeannette Sorrell), appearing as soprano soloist in the Michael Praetorius' Christmas Vespers, second lady in W.A. Mozart's The Magic Flute, and as lead female vocalist in Jeannette Sorrell's crossover programs "Come to the River" (national tour) and "Sugarloaf Mountain - An Appalachian Gathering," which became a Billboard bestselling CD in 2015. She has sung concerts around the world, including at concert halls in Italy, Spain, France, Mongolia and China.
Jazz: Improvisation, circle-singing, global-fusion, American Songbook and beyond.
Amanda Powell is known for her ability to convey passion through her music, making intense connections with her audiences. Her ease of improvisation, solid grounding in vocal technique, and familiarity with global song infuse her singing with a depth of emotion that leaves her audiences spellbound. Invited to study at the prestigious Jazz in July Institute at the University of Massachusetts in 2001, Amanda studied with jazz legends Sheila Jordan, Billy Taylor and Yusef Lateef. In her early twenties, she was invited to sing with players from the Airmen of Note under the direction of Alan Baylock of the Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra. In 2014, she performed as a guest artist with Bobby McFerrin in his “Bobby meets” Cleveland concert and later spent a week studying improvisation and circle singing with Bobby McFerrin. Her most recent project, "Beyond Boundaries" explores many genres and styles and weaves them together into a project that is about our common human experience and the way we express that experience through song.
Songleading: Connecting and enlivening worship through song.
Amanda Powell is a fresh voice in progressive church circles. Combining gifts of musicianship, leadership and story-telling, Amanda brings songs and stories from her world travels into worship. She invites people to experience a deeper connection to themselves, to one another and to the Spirit through "full-bodied" singing and worship.
Amanda Powell's work in worship and song leadership began during a trip to South East Asia in 2001, sponsored by the Global Ministries Division of the United Methodist Church. During this music tour, she witnessed and became passionate about the power that music has to connect people from different cultures. Over the past decade, Amanda has directed, performed and presented workshops for a number of regional and national ecumenical events including at Princeton Theological Seminary, Union Presbyterian Seminary, for The United Methodist Women's Assembly, the American Guild of Organists and for the Presbyterian Association of Musicians. Amanda has served as liturgist and worship leader at events with the World Council of Churches, The United Church of Christ Church House and the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. She has worked in a number of local churches including Christ United Methodist, Northampton, MA, Trinity Episcopal, Upperville VA and Federated U.C.C, Chagrin Falls, OH. Currently, she is Director of Music and Worship at Disciples Christian Church, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Beyond her local and national church leadership, she also works as a consultant with church communities who are in transition and looking to find their authentic "voice" in music and worship expression.
Education: Workshops, Residencies, Community building.
Amanda Powell loves bringing people together in community to learn and grow through singing, playing and conversation. A seasoned choral director, Amanda served on the music faculty of Foxcroft School (Virginia) and Wilbraham and Monson Academy (Massachusetts) as well as led choral workshops for numerous institutions including Lake Ridge Academy (Ohio) and Hawken School (Ohio). For Fernway School (Ohio), she developed a song-writing workshop for elementary students to compose songs on topics they are passionate about.
Expanding her interest in multi-genre and multi-cultural work exemplified on her album "Beyond Boundaries", Amanda Powell enjoys teaching people of all ages about improvisation and unique vocal styles. She has presented at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Youngstown State University, sharing songs and stories from her world travels and study. She currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Voice at Cleveland State University and teaches a progressive curriculum of vocal technique and improvisation, exploring many genres with her students. She teaches private voice lessons on a limited basis and offers workshops on the voice, improvisation and building community through singing together. |
