A recitalist of whom to take notice

ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

In an introduction to her enchanting song recital program on ALPHA, Belgian soprano Jodie Devos writes: ‘…This programme reflects a personal journey: I am Belgian, I studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and now I live in France. I wanted to present composers from these three countries, taking as my cornerstone the English song repertory and the English language. “

Beautifully accompanied by Nicholas Krüger, the Belgian soprano sings her way through a brace of relatively well-known gems by Frank Bridge, Roger Quilter, and Benjamin Britten, along with rarities by Darius Milhaud, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Irene Poldowski, William Walton, Ivor Gurney, Germaine Tailleferre and others.

Jodie Devos’ lyric-coloratura soprano voice serves this high-lying music to perfection, with utmost ease in the upper range, impeccable legato, and flawless diction in both the English and French selections. In addition, her musicality and taste define her as a recitalist of whom to take notice.

Rafael de Acha ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

Published by ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

Rafael de Acha has enjoyed a distinguished career in the arts as a performer, stage director, producer, and educator. He was born and grew up in Cuba. At the age of 17 he moved to the United States to study Drama at the University of Minnesota, and later Languages at L.A. City College, Music at the Juilliard School of Music, at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, and at the New England Conservatory of Music, from which he received the Master's degree. He has taught courses on the History of Music at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and at Florida International University, and contributed writings and reviews to Seen and Heard International (www.seenandheard-international.com ) and to this blog. He co-founded the award-winning New Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida, where he produced and staged twenty seasons of classical and contemporary theater, including fifty world premieres of plays that went on to have international and national productions on and off Broadway, including Ana in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz (Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2002 and Tony Nomination 2003.) In 2006 he was presented with a citation from The Dade County Cultural Affairs Council for “trailblazing contributions to the arts in South Florida.”