Foland, Nicolle Rhenae

FOLAND

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 6/29/2019 at 19:17:58

Nicolle Rhenae (Foland) Brown
The San Francisco Chronicle praises Nicolle FOLAND as “a singer who boasts a beautiful tone—accurate and clear from a lusty lower register up through the crystalline high notes—an eloquent way with a melodic phrase, and, to top it off, a stage presence both elegant and alluring.” Her 2006-07 season includes Violetta in La Traviata with Utah Opera, a return to Boston Baroque for Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, a solo recital in the prestigious Music at Meyer series at San Francisco’s Temple Emanu-El, concerts with the Colorado Symphony, as well as a number of cabaret concerts.

Ms. FOLAND has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with San Francisco Opera that began when she was a member of the prestigious Adler Fellowship program. She received great acclaim as Musetta in San Francisco Opera's highly successful 1996 production of La bohème and has since returned to the company to appear in various productions. In addition, she appeared under the company’s auspices in a joint concert with Placido Domingo and sang Tina in the Opera Center production of Dominick Argento’s Aspern Papers, a West Coast premiere.

The soprano has appeared with leading opera theaters throughout North America. She made a highly-acclaimed debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago as Violetta in La Traviata and later repeated this role in debuts with Houston Grand Opera and with Michigan Opera Theatre, where she later returned as Micaela. She made her debut with the Santa Fe Opera as Sifare in a new production of Mitridate, re di Ponto. Ms. FOLAND has also appeared with both the Opera Company of Philadelphia and Boston Lyric Opera in performances of the Countess, and with Minnesota Opera in her first performances of Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello. She made her debuts with Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, and Baltimore Opera as Musetta. She also appeared as the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte for Los Angeles Opera and made her debut with Cincinnati Opera as Micaela. She has sung Mimi in La bohème with both Minnesota Opera and Boston Lyric Opera. The soprano’s debut in Spain was with Opera Bilbao as Musetta.

She made her New York City Opera debut as Kitty Hart in the New York premiere of Dead Man Walking, the role she sang at the work's world premiere with San Francisco Opera. She returned to New York City Opera for performances of the Countess and Micaela. Other recent performances include title role in Gluck's Alceste with Boston Baroque and Opera Boston, Palm Beach Opera, Arizona Opera, performances with the Kentucky Symphony, several concerts with the Telluride Music Festival, and a return to her home state of Iowa to portray Micaela in concert performances of Carmen with the Sioux City Symphony. She made her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut as a Flower Maiden in Parsifal under the baton of Pierre Boulez.

Nicolle Foland appears frequently with leading symphony orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony as well as an appearance as featured soloist in gala concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra. She was featured with the American Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center; made her Hollywood Bowl debut in an evening of Italian operatic arias and duets and first appeared with the Colorado Symphony for Handel’s Messiah. She has also recently sung Strauss’ Four Last Songs with the California Symphony and Mozart’s Requiem with the Marin Symphony.

In April 1997, Ms. Foland made her San Francisco solo recital debut on the prestigious Schwabacher Debut Recital Series and she continues to present recitals throughout the United States. She can be heard on the CD Faces of Love, a collection of songs by Jake Heggie on the BMG label, and has appeared at New York’s Alice Tully Hall and San Francisco’s Herbst Theater alongside Frederica von Stade and Renée Fleming in an evening of his music; the complete recording of Dead Man Walking on the Erato label. Ms. FOLAND is the winner of the prestigious ARIA Award.

SOURCE: guybarzilayartists.com/artist.asp?ID=68

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2013