RISA RENAE HARMAN, soprano
RAM is excited to welcome new RAM Players to the roster, soprano Risa Renae Harman and mezzo-soprano Tammy Coil who will be singing on RAM’s final program of the 2015-2016 season, “Sojourns in Song.” Read below about the newest musicians in RAM.
American soprano Risa Renae Harman has been widely acclaimed for her technical virtuosity and communication skills as an artist. As noted by The New York Times, “she is that rare creature among singers, a really good recitalist.” On the concert stage, she has appeared as soloist in Samuel Barber’s The Prayers of Kierkegaard at the Kennedy Center with The Washington Chorus, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with The Philadelphia Singers at the Kimmel Center and Alice Tully Hall, Handel’s Laudate pueri with The National Cathedral Choral Society, Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate at the Kennedy Center, Bach’s Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51 with The Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra, solo recitals at the Brooklyn Library and the acclaimed Trinity Church, and guest artist with the Greenwich Chamber Players.
A favorite of composer, Sheila Silver, Miss Harman premiered songs composed for her based on poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay with American Opera Projects at Symphony Space. She is currently workshopping Silver’s new opera, A Thousand Splendid Suns with American Opera Projects. She also sings as Jenny Lind in Jenny Lind, The Swedish Nightingale in America, a play with music by Kelly Hale, currently a work in progress. In appreciation of Miss Harman’s artistry, a local music-lover has endowed the position of The Karen Schuiling Endowed Chair, currently held by Miss Harman, at the Bay View Music Festival.
Operatic performances include The Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Violetta in La Traviata, the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as creating the role of Louise in the world premiere of William Schuman’s A Question of Taste for Glimmerglass Opera. She has appeared with New York City Opera, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, Lake George Opera, and Lyric Opera Cleveland.
Miss Harman’s international credits include recitals in Sweden as the winner of the American Jenny Lind Competition and the Italian Festivals Da Bach a Bartok and Musica nei Chiostri. Miss Harman is the recipient of numerous awards including the Lee Schaenen Foundation, Lotte Lehmann Foundation, Sullivan Foundation, Shoshana Foundation, Washington International Competition, Jenny Lind Competition, and Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition. She hails from Virginia and presently calls New York home.
Mezzo-Soprano, Tammy Coil sings with “a vibrant voice,” heralds the New York Times, and “engagement and amber warmth.” (Anne Midgette, Washington Post) Tammy made her Carnegie Hall debut last season singing works by Mohammed Fairouz with the Mimesis Ensemble. She sang in the American Premiere of George Benjamin’s ‘Written on Skin’ as Marie and 2nd Angel at the Tanglewood Music Festival under the baton of the composer, George Benjamin. Tammy sang Zwei Dame in ‘Die Zauberflote’ with Opera Philadelphia, as well as singing her first Verdi Requiem with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. Her recent performance as Mercedes in ‘Carmen’ with the Opera Philadelphia, “was truly outstanding in both vocals and characterization.” (Bachtrach Reporter). Additionally, she made her debut with Operaomnia as Minerva in the Moneteverdi opera, ‘The Return of Ulysses.’
She has sung with Sante Fe Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Chautauqua Institution and New Jersey Opera Theater. Ms. Coil has also participated in the inaugural Chateauville Festival singing the role of Nancy in ‘Albert Herring’ under the baton of Lorin Maazel and reprised the role with Cal Performances in Berkely, CA. Tammy was a member of the Opera on the Go! Program with the Opera Theater of St. Louis singing the role of Cherubino. Other past roles include L’Ecureuil, La Bergere and La Chatte in ‘L’enfant et les Sortileges’ as well as Zulma in ‘L’Italiana in Algeri’ with the Opera Philadelphia. Tammy holds a Masters of Music Degree from The Curtis Institute where she sang numerous roles, each “summoning up vocal fire,” (Diane Burgwyn, Opera Now) including Margaret in ‘Wozzeck’ and Lorca in Golijov’s ‘Ainadamar’ in collaboration with the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Kimmel Center. Other roles performed during her time at Curtis include Cherubino in ‘Le Nozze di Figaro,’ Lady with a Hatbox in ‘The Postcard From Morrocco,’ and Sicle in ‘L’Ormindo.’ Ms. Coil holds a Bachelors degree from The Juilliard School where she sang Zwei Dame in ‘Die Zauberflote’ with The Juilliard Opera Workshop and Tasse Chinoise and the Libellule in ‘L’enfant et les Sortileges’ with Juilliard Opera Center.
Tammy has appeared with the Santa Fe Opera as an Apprentice Artist and with the Opera Theater of St.Louis as a member of the Gerdine Young Artist Program. She participated with the Opera Theater New Jersey in their premiere season as the title role in ‘L’enfant et les Sortileges.’ At the Chautauqua Institution she performed Octavia in ‘L’incoronatizione di Poppea’ and Dorabella in ‘Cosi fan Tutte.’ Tammy was a soloist in the New York Philharmonic’s production of ‘Candide’ and has appeared at the Kennedy Center with Marvin Hamlisch and Lorin Maazel.
Ms. Coil was a District Winner of the 2007/2008 Metropolitan National Council Auditions and placed second in the Denver Lyric Opera competition in 2009 and fourth place in 2010.
Ms. Coil’s discography includes The Curtis Institute of Music’s Professional Release of Postcard From Morocco with Albany Records.