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The American soprano, Brenna Wells, obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Western Washington University in Washington (June 1998); her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance w/ Distinction from Longy School of Music in in Cambridge, Massachusetts (May 2001); and her Postgraduate Diploma in Vocal Performance w/ Distinction from the Royal College of Music in London (July 2004).
With a voice described as “fresh”, “ethereal”, "captivating" and “angelic”, Brenna Wells is garnering attention for her varied performances. Her operatic roles include La Poesie and La Paix in Les Arts Florissants (2008), Galatea in George Frideric Handel's Acis and Galatea, (2004), Venus in L’Europe Galante (2006), Sandman in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel (2008), First Witch in Dido and Aeneas (2010, 2014, 2017), La Musique in Charpentier's Les Plaisirs de Versailles (2011) with the L'academie, as well as roles in Charpentier's La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers (2011) and La Couronne de Fleurs (2011). She was Première Nymphe de l’Acheron in the Boston Early Music Festival’s production and Grammy-nominated recording of Lully’s Psyché (2007) and is featured on two BEMF recordings, Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Acteon and John Blow's Venus and Adonis. She made her Carnegie Weill Hall Debut as a winner of the International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition, and returned to Carnegie Hall under the baton of Ton Koopman as a Young Artist (February 2008). She has sung and recorded with such acclaimed ensembles as the BEMF Orchestra, Blue Heron, Britten-Pears Baroque Orchestra, Boston Baroque (Director: Martin Pearlman), Opera Boston, L’Académie, and the Handel and Haydn Society. She has appeared in many festivals and programs world wide including the London Handel Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Amherst Early Music Festival (July 2006), BBC Proms and in both 2008 and 2009, she was selected to perform in the Early Music Seminars at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, Italy.
Brenna Wells performed in the Yale Choral Artists' inaugural season, under the direction of William Christie and has joined the Austin based Ensemble Viii for performances including solos the François Couperin's Leçons de Ténèbres, J.S. Bach's Cantata Christ Lag in Todes Banden (BWV 4), Dietrich Buxtehude's Jesu Membra Nostre, and Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers, among other progams. Highlights from recent seasons include her soloist debut at Symphony Hall under the direction of Harry Christophers, appearances as the soprano soloist in J.S. Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245) and Cantata In allen Meinen Taten (BWV 97) with the Emmanuel Music, soloist with the Metropolitan Chorale for G.F. Handel's Israel in Egypt, and other solo performances with Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, Yale Choral Artists, Boston Cecilia, Cambridge Concentus, Collage New Music, Connecticut Early Music Festival, and a return to the Boston Early Music Festival and their tour of the Charpentier Opera Double Bill: La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers and La Couronne de Fleurs to Victoria, British Columbia and New York. She also had the unexpected dream debut of singing back up vocals on "You Can't Always Get What You Want" with the Rolling Stones and their 50th Anniversary Tour. In 2014-2015, she was chosen as the the Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellow at Emmanuel Music in Boston where she performed as soloist in J.S. Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245).
Miss Wells recently became a resident of Seattle, Washinton and held the post of Interim Program Director and Professor of Music at Trinity Lutheran College. Highlights from recent seasons include appearances with Seraphic Fire, Ensemble VIII, Lorelei Ensemble, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Handel and Haydn Society, New World Symphony, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Sammamish Symphony Orchestra, the Brookings Harbor Friends of Music series, Cleveland Orchestra Miami, Vancouver Early Music Festival, Pacific MusicWorks Underground, Early Music Guild of Seattle, Emerald Ensemble, Blue Heron Choir and Pacific Musicworks' production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and the Beethoven Festival in Warsaw, Poland. She was also the Staff Soprano for the Blessed Sacrament Church in the University District where she has appeared as the soprano soloist for G.F. Handel's Messiah and the St. Cecilia Festival with works including W.A. Mozart's Exultate Jubilate, Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria and Purcell's Ode to St. Cecilia. Highlights from the 2018-2019 season included her soloist debut with the Aspen Symphony Orchestra in W.A. Mozart's Requiem as a Participating Artist with the Professional Choral Institute at the Aspen Music Festival and School with Seraphic Fire. She also debuted with Cappella Romana in Seattle and Portland and performed with Ensemble VIII in Austin, Texas, Blue Heron Choir in Boston and New York, Seraphic Fire in Miami, Pacific MusicWorks’s performances of Monteverdi’s Selve Morale, and recorded John Luther Adams’ Becoming Desert with the Seattle Symphony Chorale & Orchestra. She also made her debut with Emerald City Music performing Steve Reich’s rarely staged Music for Eighteen Musicians. During the 2019-2020 season, she returned as a Participating Artist with Seraphic Fire at the Professional Choral Institute at the Aspen Music Festival and School and at Chorus America in Miami. She will make her debut singing with Grammy award winning Roomful of Teeth in the production of Bryce Dessner's Triptych (Eyes of One on Another): On the work of Robert Mapplethorpe at the Moore Theatre in Seattle. She can also be seen singing with Blue Heron Choir in Boston for the 20th Anniversary Season, Ensemble VIII in Austin Texas, Portland’s Cappella Romana and Seattle’s new professional ensemble, Sound City Singers. She currently lives in Shoreline, Washington. |
