Jurate Svedaite, soprano
Patrice Newman, piano
About The Artists:
Possessing a vocal artistry and stage presence capable of “transfixing audiences with moments of opera magic,” Lithuanian soprano, Jūratė Švedaitė, has performed on four continents with organizations such as the Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra, the Israel Chamber Orchestra, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Prolirica de Antioquia (Colombia), Kaunas (Lithuania) Chamber Orchestra, Classical Orchestra of Piła (Poland), the Lithuanian National Ensemble “Lietuva”, Schlern International Music Festival (Italy), Greve Opera Festival (Italy), San Gimignano Music Festival (Italy), Pazaislis International Music Festival (Lithuania), among others, in venues as varied as Carnegie Hall, the Jerusalem Center (Israel), the Lithuanian National Philharmonic and Teatro Metropolitano de Medellin.
Her previous roles include the diva Tosca, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly, Aida, Violetta in La Traviata, Mimi in La Bohème, Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Desdemona in Otello, Elisabetta in Don Carlo, Senta in Der fliegende Holländer, Marguerite in Faust, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, , Antonia/ Giulietta in Les Contes d’HoffmannNedda in Pagliacci, Micaela in Carmen, and the title role in Floyd’s Susannah, among others
An active performer of sacred works and oratorios as well, her credits include Monteverdi’s and Vivaldi’s Magnificats; Bach’s Mass in B minor, Christmas Oratorio, Coffe and Peasant Cantatas as well as numerous sacred cantatas; Mozart’s Requiem, Exsultate Jubilate, Solemn Vespers, and Missa Brevis; Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Brahm’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, Verdi’s Requiem, and Faure’s Requiem.
The granddaughter of one of Lithuania’s most revered composers and arrangers of traditional music, Jonas Švedas, she began performing at an early age and made her recording debut at the age of twelve; also at that time, she hosted several programs for children on national television. Ms. Švedaitė later attended the Lithuanian Music Academy where she earned bachelor's and Masters's Degrees in Opera Performance and Vocal Instruction. She now resides in SE CT where she is an Associate Professor at Connecticut College as well as a voice instructor at Thames Valley Music School.
Pianist Patrice Newman collaborates frequently in chamber music and art song. She has performed in concerts in the New York area including the Riverside Church, Hudson Highlands Music Festival, Peconic Chamber Orchestra, and in a Weill Recital Hall chamber music debut as a winner of the Artists International competition.
Her recent CDs include Lukas Foss’ "The Prairie" and Dominick Argento’s "Jonah and the Whale" with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) and The Providence Singers. In New York, she also performed frequently with the Composers Circle and Friends and Enemies of New Music.
Patrice holds degrees from the Hartt School/University of Hartford and Boston University, where she won the Piano Performance Award, and also studied at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, France, the Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien, Austria, and in New York with pianist Grant Johannesen. She worked as a collaborative pianist at the Mannes College of Music.
Patrice is also a founding artistic director of Chamber Music Mystic, a summer chamber music festival in Mystic, CT.