Knoxville soprano Jami Rogers joins KSO for Masterworks opening concert

Jami Rogers

Jami Rogers

For hometown soprano Jami Rogers, singing has become a break from her daily life as mother and wife. She will perform Samuel Barber's "Knoxville: Summer 1915" as part of the Knoxville Symphony's 74th season opening concerts at the Tennessee Theatre on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 24 and 25.

"I still do a couple of good size projects per year, but I'm at the point where being home with my family is the biggest part of my life," Rogers said.

A quick Internet search turns up high praise for Rogers' singing, especially her performances as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's "The Magic Flute," perhaps the most spectacular coloratura role in opera.

"She's done," Rogers said. "When my high F's quit, I had to give her up. I really loved singing that role. You got to go out and make a big splash, got to wear a great costume and got a good pay day."

As for considering herself a coloratura soprano, a classification that requires leaps from one note to another and elaborate ornamentations, that's a different matter. "I never did," she said. "I was a soprano who sang coloratura roles."

Of course, Rogers also loves singing what one might consider the mainstream soprano repertoire, but it's the out-of-the-norm that really interests her.

"I enjoy singing Strauss and the Schubert lieder, but I really love 20th century music. Olivier Messiaen is my favorite composer," Rogers said.

The differences between singing with piano or orchestra are important to Rogers.

"Singing with a piano is intensely personal but requires more work," she noted. "The piano is a percussion instrument, so you work a little harder to get a singing line. An orchestra, on the other hand, is as lyrical as the human voice so it's much more natural to sing with."

In addition to the Barber work on the opening concert, well-known retired news anchorman Bill Williams will narrate a performance for black American composer William Grant Still's 20th century work "The American Scene: The South."

Long known as the dean of black American composers, Still broke color barriers when he directed the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert of his own music at the Hollywood Bowl in 1936.

Also on the program will be a performance of the "Suite from 'The Reivers'." At maestro Lucas Richman's personal request, this will be the first concert performance of the piece.

"I am so proud to be a part of these concerts," Rogers said. "Not only because I get to sing music based on the writing of Knoxvillian James Agee, but because Lucas has put together a program of mostly American music, especially the William Still piece."

The concerts will conclude with performances of the popular Maurice Ravel transcription of Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition."

Tickets are $21-$83 for adults and $10 for children and students ages 2 thru college. They can be purchased at Tickets Unlimited Web site, knoxvilletickets.com, or by calling 865-656-444.

The concerts will begin at 7 p.m. both nights.

Harold Duckett is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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