Department of Music

Fourth Year Melanie Ashkar will present a free voice recital as part of the McIntire Department of Music’s Distinguished Majors Program on Sunday, March 27 at 8:00pm in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium. The recital will explore the full range of music written for mezzo-soprano: the program includes selections by Mahler, Fauré, Mozart and Bernstein, among others. Ms. Ashkar presents this performance as the culmination of her four years of vocal study with James Taylor. The recital features accompanist David Norfrey, clarinetist Trenley Anderson, vocalists Haley Anderson, Daniel Brown, Norman Reategui, and Scott Russell and violinist Evans Wralstad. A reception will follow the event in Old Cabell Hall Lobby.

Ms. Ashkar has performed such roles as Orfeo in Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice", Third Lady in Mozart's "The Magic Flute", Public Opinion in Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld" and Zita in Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi", among others. This past summer she attended the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria where she had the opportunity to work with coaches Darryl Cooper and Wayne Wyman. She has also attended Opera Festival di Roma in Italy, where she performed the role of La Maestra delle Novizie in Puccini’s “Suor Angelica”. In September she will travel to Weimar, Germany to perform the role of Dorabella in Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar.

This recital is supported by the Charles S. Roberts Scholarship Fund. Established in 2004 by the generosity of Mr. Alan Y. Roberts ('64) and Mrs. Sally G. Roberts, the Charles S. Roberts Scholarship Fund underwrites the private lessons and recital costs for undergraduate music majors giving a recital in their fourth year as part of a distinguished major program in music.