District IV Fall Conference

Presenting:

Collaboration Between Voice and Accompanist

Mezzo-soprano Melissa Schiel has established herself in the Pacific Northwest as a concert soloist, stage performer, and recitalist. Past chamber and orchestral highlights include Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’éte, Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, De Falla’s El Amor Brujo, Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Mahler’s Symphony No.2, and Verdi’s Requiem. Recent soloist performances this past season include Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with Yakima Symphony and Handel’s Messiah with Wenatchee Valley Symphony. Schiel has enjoyed performing with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Rainer Symphony Orchestra, Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, and Orchestra Seattle.

On the operatic stage, she has sung many roles such as Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Olga (Eugene Onegin), The Fox (The Cunning Little Vixen), Maddelena (Rigoletto), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), The Old Lady (Candide), and Mrs. Herring (Albert Herring).

Since 2011, Schiel has been on faculty at Central Washington University where she teaches applied lessons, vocal pedagogy, and diction. She is President of the Intermountain region NATS Chapter and Area Coordinator of voice at CWU. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal performance from University of Maryland, a Master of Music in vocal performance from University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from McGill University.