Tiffany Abban. Soprano

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1 Tiffany Abban Soprano Tiffany Abban is a young soprano noted for her beauty of tone and communicative powers. She began her training at the Interlochen Arts Academy and continued at the Juilliard School before concluding at the Curtis Institute of Music. She was one of the youngest singers ever to be accepted into the prestigious Adler Fellowship program of the San Francisco Opera. While there, she sang the role of Mimì around the country as part of the final Western Opera Theater tour. Recent performances for Ms. Abban include the title role in Tosca at both Palm Beach Opera and Savonlinna Opera Festival; Margherita and Elena in Boito's Mefistofele for Erfurt, Germany; and the title role in Aida for Den Norske Opera & Ballet, which received glowing reviews. She then covered Tosca at Los Angeles Opera, performed the role of Basiliola in La Nave with Teatro Grattacielo at Lincoln Center, and performed Leonora in Il Trovatore with Sacramento Opera. Upcoming engagements include Verdi's Requiem with the Princeton University Orchestra and Glee Club. Ms. Abban made her Carnegie Hall debut when she was presented in concert at Weill Recital Hall in New York City, and she made her Italian debut singing the title role in Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna. She was then engaged by Teatro Grattacielo for their production of Wolf-Ferrari's I Gioelli della Madonna. Among other roles, Ms. Abban has also sung Micaëla in Carmen, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Antonia in Les Contes d'hoffmann, Sister Rose in the Canadian premiere of Dead Man Walking, as well as the soprano soloist in Verdi's Requiem. Ms. Abban has also won the following awards and competitions: first place in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition; first place the George London-Leonie Rysanek Award; and first place in the Mario Lanza Competition (Junior Division). Originally from the Midwest, Ms. Abban currently makes her home in New York City.

2 Tiffany Abban Repertoire Boito Mefistofele Margherita, Elena Leoncavallo I Pagliacci Nedda Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana Santuzza Montemezzi La Nave Basiliola Offenbach Les Contes d'hoffmann Antonia, Giulietta Puccini La Bohème Mimì Il Trittico Georgetta / Suor Angelica / Lauretta Madama Butterfly Madama Butterfly Manon Lescaut Manon Lescaut Tosca Tosca Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos Ariadne Verdi Aida Aida Attila Odabella Don Carlo Elisabetta I Vespri Siciliani Elena Il Trovatore Leonora La Forza del Destino Leonora Luisa Miller Luisa Miller Otello Desdemona Requiem Soprano Soloist Simon Boccanegra Amelia Un Ballo in Maschera Amelia Wolf-Ferrari I Gioielli della Madonna Maliella

3 Tiffany Abban Press Reviews Leonora in Il Trovatore "He assembled a strong cast of singers here, most notably young soprano Tiffany Abban who commanded the role of Leonora. Abban's radiant voice filled the ultra-cavernous environs of Community Center theater - a venue whose less-than-stellar acoustics has vexed many an accomplished singer. Abban had no problems selling the role, and she shined with a fiery emotional grit in her Act 4 arias and cabaletta." -Edward Ortiz, San Francisco Classical Voice, 02/28/2014 Basiliola in La Nave "What was most exciting abour this concert, however, was the chance to witness the birth of a star. As Basiola, soprano Tiffany Abban scored a triumph in her New York debut. Imposing, statuesque, she had the bearing of a true diva, along with a diva's sense of presence and gesture. Her rich spinto - particularly her gorgeous top notes and Leontyne Price-like lower register - poured out effortlessly in this marathon role. And she managed me trick of exploiting all of the emotion inherent in the musicthrough the music, without subjecting her voice to undue pressure. Abban has alreadly sung Aida, Tosca, and both Mefistofele soprano roles in Europe. She is clearly an artist to watch." -Eric Myers, Opera News, 01/01/2013 "Printz assembled a cast that was more than equal to the task... I predict we will hear a lot more from Tiffany Abban, perhaps (I hope) as a Verdi soprano. Blessed with a dark, powerful instrument of varied color and great expressive power, she not only impressed, but greatly moved her audience. The opera is a vocal marathon for the soprano, with Basiliola prominent for almost its entire duration (well over two hours). The combination of the tiringly high tessitura, the wide range of feeling required, and the huge orchestral forces that had to be mastered for her to be heard, made Abban's performance a very worthy accomplishment, particularly in a time when the voices that can do this sort of role are in short supply. The ovations she received from the audience were richly deserved." -Dan Foley, Musical Criticism, 12/9/2012 "Tiffany Abban tore into Basiliola's music with abandon, sounding sumptuous... and raising hopes that she will ration such strenuous parts in the future, lest she damage what is clearly an important voice." -Peter G Davis, Musical America, 11/5/2012

4 Tiffany Abban, cont d "By far the biggest role in the opera is that of Basiliola, an alluring, cruel, capricious and vengeful woman whom D'Annunzio originally imagined as touched by madness and into whom he poured all his great love and hatred of women. It is an incredibly demanding role, and Tiffany Abban told me afterwards that it was the most difficult thing she had ever done: "as difficult as the title role in Aida, but much more unrelenting." Yet she made it look and sound, if not easy, at least comfortable, and gave an assured, commanding performance with a thrilling voice which seemed capable of anything. Her Basiliola was more gentle and sympathetic then I had imagined the character sounding..." -David Chandler, Opera Today, 11/10/2012 "Teatro Grattacielo always digs up amazing singers to perform their amazing scores. Tiffany Abban, making her New York debut, has a full-sized, well-developed, beautifully supported spinto of womanly color and Verdian weight. She can ride over an orchestra or sing sweetly and softly, and the sound never becomes harsh when weight is brought to bear." -Parterre.com, 11/2/2012 Title role in Aida "Aida, tolket av sopranen Tiffany Abban, skinner sterkest på stjernehimmelen. Stemmen er vakker, hun synger lekende lett i høyden, er kontrollert, og når ut til publikum, ofte i en neddempet form. Hennes arie i tredje akt, der hun synger lengselsfullt om sitt liv hjemme i Etiopia, ble for meg høydepunktet." -Brita Skogly Kraglund, Vårtland Kultur, April 23, 2012 (Aida, interpreted by soprano Tiffany Abban, shines strongest among the stars. Her voice is beautiful with an effortless top. It is well controlled, and reaches out to the public, often in a subdued form. Her aria in act 3, where she sings longingly about her life at home in Ethiopia, was for me the ultimate highlight.) "Den fargede sopranen Tiffany Abban sang Aida med en vakker, myk stemmeklang, og fylte det resignerte og intime rommet som maktscenene stengte ute. Og hun vokste til store høyder da lojalitetskonfliktene strammet seg til. Duetten med Søberg i 3.akt var strålende! Sluttscenen i graven med sin elskede Radames ble usentimentalt vakkert fortalt. Dette var en Aida som grep med både menneskelig skjørhet og sterk, brutal kraft." -Brita Skogly Kraglund, NRK, April 23, 2012 (The black soprano Tiffany Abban sang Aida with a beautiful, soft voice, and filled the resignated and intimate space that the 'power scenes' closed out. And she grew to great heights as the conflicts of loyalty tightened. The duet with Søberg in act 3 was brilliant! The final scene in the tomb with her beloved Radames was unsentimentally beautifully told. This

5 Tiffany Abban, cont d was a production of Aida which moved its audience with both human fragility, and strong, brutal force.) "Og regien følger opp den nye konvensjonen (etter Leontyne Price) med en svart sopran som Aida, Tiffany Abban, som gjør Aida helt uimotståelig. I det hele tatt er dette en oppsetning uten svake punkter vokalt." -Ståle Wikshåland, Dagbladet, April 23, 2012 (And the casting follows the new convention (after Leontyne Price) with a black soprano as Aida, Tiffany Abban, making the production completely irresistible. On the whole this is a performance without any weak points vocally.) "Komposisjonens dramatiske omfang får optimalt utløp når amerikanske Tiffany Abban former materialet med sterk dynamisk evne. Stemmen hennes spenner stort og klangrikt. Gjennom den former hun et kraftfullt bilde av den stolte Aida. Minst like imponerende er baerekraften i hennes pianissimo, som hun gjør bruk av ofte. (Tronarvingen er kuet, og gjort til slave. Hun står i et umulig dilemma. Skal kjaerligheten vinne, må noen forråde sitt land. Hun må be om et offer - fra sin elsker eller far. Til slutt blir det hun som ofrer selv.)" -Ida Habbestad, Aftenposten, April 23, 2012 (The dramatic scope of the composition is optimally fulfilled when American soprano Tiffany Abban shapes the material with strong dynamic capability. Her voice has a large span, and a rich sound. Through it, she creates a powerful image of the proud Aida. Equally impressive is her well-carrying pianissimo, which she frequently makes use of. (The heiress to the throne is subdued, and enslaved. She suffers an impossible dilemma. For love to prevail, someone has to betray their country. She must request a sacrifice - from either her lover or her father. Finally, it is she who makes the sacrifice.) "Aida synges av amerikanske Tiffany Abban som har en fantastisk varm stemme og helhetlig fremtoning." -Tori Skrede, Verdens Gang, April 23, 2012 (Aida is sung by American soprano Tiffany Abban, who has a wonderfully warm voice and overall appearance.) Title role in Tosca "American Tiffany Abban in the second cast was hardly less stunning. Her approach to the role is more reserved, less diva-like, but no less solid. The voice has a Leontyne Price-like smokiness and her presence is that of a confident and very steamy lady. Taigi and Abban

6 Tiffany Abban, cont d should have major careers in the United States. Often time people are wary of second casts, but overall, with this production, the second cast had chemistry that was lacking in the first." -Jeff Haller, ConcertoNet.com, March 2011 "Tiffany Abban's soprano is dark and at its best in the middle and low register... her Tosca is many degrees more assimilated and serene... Abban is thoughtful and deeply feminine. A strong personality, expressive charisma and sophisticated expressions of grief create a strong Tosca... Also Tiffany Abban sang herself into the hearts of Finnish audience. Her warm interpretation, subtle expressions of grief and dark voice pleased listeners. The love scenes of Massimo Giordano's Cavaradossi and Abban were slightly more controlled than with other Tosca but they too passed on a real feeling." -Riitta-Leena Lempinen-Vesa, Itä-Savo, July 17, 2011