Biography of DEBORAH STEPHENS

featured in "THUS SAITH ELIJAH" Concert
Sunday June 5th, 2005 at 8:00 p.m.
St. Mary's Cathedral, 1716 NW Davis, Portland

SOPRANO
DEBORAH STEPHENS
DEBORAH STEPHENS, a native of California, returned to the West Coast last July after 18 years in New York City, during which time she performed a variety of music, from early music to opera, oratorio, and musicals.
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Some highlights of her solo appearances include Bach's Magnificat and Beethoven's Mass in C in the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, Schubert's Mass in A-Flat Major in the Berkshire Choral Festival, and the Mozart Requiem with the Maryland Handel Festival.

She was a frequent soloist in the "Sacred Music in a Sacred Space" concert series at St. Ignatius Loyola, where she appeared with baritone Sherrill Milnes in Brahms' Requiem. The series has featured Ms. Stephens in the New York premiere of Arvo Part's Miserere, as well as for performances of Mozart's Vespere solennes de confessore, Haydn's Theresienmesse, Saint-Saens' Mass, Opus 4, Poulenc's Gloria, and Bruckner's Te Deum.

She has also appeared as soloist with Musica Sacra, the debut season of the New York Collegium, the New York Vocal Arts Ensemble, and the New York Concert Singers, and has been an ensemble member with the New York Choral Artists, New York Philharmonic, Opera Orchestra of New York, and with Ascension Music. She has been heard at New York's Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and on the public television series "Live from Lincoln Center." Ms. Stephens spent three seasons with the New York City Opera, where she appeared in over 45 operas, operettas, and musicals as a member of the ensemble.

In a lighter vein, Ms. Stephens has enjoyed singing many nationally-run radio and television commercials, some of which she has composed.

As a concert producer, Ms. Stephens produced the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola's annual Christmas Concert, which involved choosing the theme of the concert, the repertoire, artists, program and lighting design. In the four years as producer of these popular concerts, the audience demand grew from one to three standing-room-only events in the 1200-seat Church house. Deborah and her husband, baritone Charles Stephens, are now pleased to present the Music by the Bay concert series, in conjunction with the Chapel on Echo Bay on Fox Island, Washington.