Jacobs School alumna wins world award

FROM IDS REPORTS

Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, an IU alumna, won top honors Sunday in an international vocal competition.

Barton, who earned her Master’s degree in vocal performance from the Jacobs School of Music in 2007, won the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World title for her range of performances at St. David’s Hall in Cardiff, Wales, over the past week.

The BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition began June 16 with performances of operatic selections from more than 20 performers each representing a different country.

Barton was selected to represent the United States in February of this year and traveled to Wales June 10 to prepare for her performances at the competition, according to updates on her website.

Throughout the competition, Barton won several honors including the Song Prize, the Concert One top title and the Singer of the World final prize.

Barton performed a final repertoire of songs selected from four different operas written by Cilea, Hänsel und Gretel Humperdinck, Sibelius and Berlioz, to secure the title Sunday.

Barton was born in Rome, Ga., where she studied and earned her Bachelor’s degree in vocal performance at Shorter College in 2004.

Following the completion of her Bachelor’s degree, she completed a Master’s program at IU in vocal performance in 2007.

From 2007 to 2009, she was a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio and three years later made her United Kingdom vocal debut at the Barbican Centre as part of Elgar’s opera “Sea Pictures.”

According to a BBC report, Barton’s future plans include the role of Julia Child in “Bon Appetit!” with Opera Memphis and a return to the Lyric Opera of Chicago in the role of Magdalene in “Die Meistersinger.”

— Amanda Jacobson