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Known for her beautifully warm, uniquely colored voice, mezzo-soparano Jennifer Kosharsky combines an exceptional vocal range and expressive musicality with a strong stage presence. This versatile artist continues to delight audiences in both dramatic and comedic roles. Originally a professional flutist, Jennifer has performed in operas, operettas, musicals and concerts in the US and in Europe.
Jennifer is thrilled to start the year with a return to Elgin Opera singing Italian favorites! She began her 2007-2008 season here as well singing the role of Suzuki under the baton of Phil Morehead (Lyric Opera of Chicago). She performed the role again with Martinez Opera where Michael Zweibach (San Francisco Classical Voice) wrote – “Jennifer Kosharsky, the Suzuki, is an excellent actress, with a dark-timbred, attractive, mezzo-soprano voice. She showed a natural way with Puccini’s music, and gave strong declamatory emphasis to many of her lines.”
Jennifer followed with performances of Preziosilla in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino (Da Corneto Opera), Third Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Union Ave Opera), and the “character role” of Clotilde in Romberg’s operetta The New Moon (Music by the Lake). Previous roles include Rosina in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas), Sesto in Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito (Chicago Cultural Center), Flora in Verdi’s La Traviata (Intimate Opera) and Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte (Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute).
This past season Jennifer won second place in the The Classical Singer International Emerging Professional Competition and was featured in the May 2008 issue of Classical Singer magazine. She also received recognition as a finalist in the 2006 Marcella Sembrich Vocal Competition in New York City, a two-time regional winner for the National MacAllistar Awards (Chicago), a finalist in the Union League Civic & Arts foundation Vocal Competition (Chicago). Recent concert appearances include alto soloist in Handel's Messiah with the New Jersey Philharmonic and as invited guest soloist with Park Ridge Orchestra with conductor, Barbara Schubert (University of Chicago).
Early in her career, Jennifer had the opportunity to study in Italy and cherishes the time spent learning Italian and absorbing the culture. While living in Venice, she studied with one of Europe’s most sought after voice teachers, Sherman Lowe. Jennifer continued her studies with such luminaries as coaches Joyce Fieldsend (La Fenice Opera / Glyndebourne Festival) and Harriet Lawson (Teatro Verdi of Trieste). She discovered she lived “across the canal” from the renowned mezzo-soprano Regina Resnik and sought out her tutelage. Over the next year Jennifer studied with Ms. Resnik in Italy and in NYC. Jennifer also trained at the International Institute of Vocal Arts and was a semi-finalist in both the Tito Gobbi International Competition and the International Giovan Battista Velluti Competition while in Italy.
In the spring of 2009, Ms. Kosharsky makes her debut with Miami Lyric Opera singing the roles Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Suor Zelatrice (Suor Angelica). Jennifer currently resides in Chicago and has worked with Winifred Faix Brown since 2005. She enjoys practicing Bikram yoga, Pilates and teaching private voice lessons.
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