Natalie Lewis & Myra Huang

“Velvet mezzo- soprano sonic cushion” “Ever-elegant pianist Myra Huang combined beauty of line with liveliness and humor as the songs required, whether in supportive or assertive moments.” The Boston Music Intelligencer Mezzo-soprano Natalie Lewis and pianist Myra Huang invite audiences on a journey of remarkable range and emotional depth, spanning the Romantic heartland of Brahms and Mahler to the profound American spiritual tradition. The program opens with Brahms’s irresistible Zigeunerlieder — his exuberant settings of Hungarian Romani poetry that crackle with rhythmic fire, tenderness, and an almost improvisatory sense of abandon — before turning to the orchestral richness of Mahler’s songs, works of searing introspection and visionary scope that seem to contain entire worlds within them. Huang, whose accompaniments are marked throughout by elegance and keen musical intelligence, proves an ideal partner across every idiom on this rich and deeply satisfying program. *Selections subject to change* American mezzo-soprano Natalie Lewis is quickly emerging as one of the brightest young talents on the global operatic scene. Now in her second season as a member of the Bayerische Staatsoper Ensemble, she has appeared there in such roles as Erda in Das Rheingold under General Music Director Vladimir Jurowski, Emilia in Otello, Mary in Der fliegender Holländer, and as La Voce in a new production of Der Mond of Carl Orff. During the 26-27 season, Ms. Lewis will appear with Zubin Mehta and Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the with Domingo Handoyan and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in performances of Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, with Edward Gardner and the London Philharmonic Orchestra as The Angel in Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, with Kerri-Lynn Wilson and the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra in performances of the Verdi Requiem, with Oksana Lyniv as Birgitte in concert performances of Korngold’s Die tote Stadt with the Radio Filharmonische Orkest at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, with Patrick Hahn and the Wiener Symphonicker in Lili Boulanger’s Psalm 130, and with Nicholas Collon and the Aurora Orchestra in as a part of BBC Proms singing Mahler’s Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen. On the operatic stage, Ms. Lewis will make her debut at the Salzburger Osterfestspiele as Waltraute in the new Ring Cycle, directed by Kirill Serebrenikov and conducted by Kirill Petrenko. She will also appear on her home stage as Maffio Orsisni in Lucrezia Borgia, Pasqualita in newly staged production of Doctor Atomic, and Suzuki in Madame Butterfly. In 2025 Natalie was awarded 2nd Prize as well the Birgit Nielsen Award in the Operalia Competition and has earned first place and the audience favorite award at the 2023 Houston Grand Opera Concert of Arias and won the National Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition the same year. Natalie received her Bachelor’s in Music from the University of Massachusetts: Amherst and her Master’s in Music from The Juilliard School, where she was a recipient of the Kovner Fellowship. Huang is invited regularly to perform around the world, with tours including regular appearances at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, The Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, The Kennedy Center, and The 92nd Street Y. Huang is invited regularly to perform around the world, with tours including regular appearances at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, The Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, The Kennedy Center, and The 92nd Street Y. Huang was chosen as the recipient of The Samuel Sanders Collaborative Artist Award for 2019 by The Classical Recording Foundation for her consummate artistry. Regular collaborations include recitals with Fleur Barron, J’Nai Bridges, Lawrence Brownlee, Sasha Cooke, Ying Fang, Joshua Hopkins, Will Liverman, Angela Meade, John Matthew Myers, Eric Owens, Nicholas Phan, Susanna Phillips, Roderick Williams, and clarinetist Anthony McGill. Huang holds the positions of the Head of Music for the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera, The Director of Musical Administration and Head Coach at The Aspen Music Festival, and faculty of the Collaborative Piano Department at The Manhattan School of Music, where she mentors and supports young opera singers and pianists of the next generation. Huang is an avid recitalist and recording artist. She is a two-time Grammy nominee for her albums Gods and Monsters and Clairières with tenor Nicholas Phan on the Avie label. Huang is a Steinway Artist. 1025 Connecticut Ave NW #1000