Ja-Naé Duane, mezzo-soprano, most recently was praised by Musical America for her portrayal of Hannah/Rabbi/Henry in the North American Premiere of Angels in America. "Ja-Naé Duane (Hannah)...plumbed the humanity of less immediately sympathetic characters.” A natural "go-getter," this Metropolitan Opera Council Audition Regional Semi-Finalist is equally comfortable performing opera, jazz, and musical theater. She has performed in such places as the White House, Mariinsky Theatre, Lincoln Center, Boston's Esplanade, Jordan Hall, Woolsey Hall and the Fleet Center. Ms. Duane's recent engagements include the roles of Rabbi/Henry/Hannah in the U.S. premiere of Angels in America (Opera Boston and Boston Modern Opera Project), Dorces Hoar in The Crucible (Chautauqua Opera), Dowager Duchess in La Vie Parisienne, Ezda in L'Etoile, and Susanna Walcott in The Crucible (Opera Boston), Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto and the Third Lady in The Magic Flute (both with Granite State Opera), Jo in Little Women and the title role in Regina (both with Boston Opera Project), Carmen in La Tragédie de Carmen, Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Baba in The Medium, all with the BU Opera Institute. In May 2003, she performed in concert in St. Petersburg, Russia, in collaboration with young artists from the Mariinsky Opera. She was also featured on Joseph Summer's "What a Piece of Work is Man." Ms. Duane has been previously engaged with the Boston Pops, Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Boston, Chautauqua Opera, Granite State Opera, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Boston University’s Opera Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, BASOTI, Tuesday Music Club and Naxos-London.

In addition to her busy performance schedule, Ja-Naé is much sought-after as a public speaker, and is President/Founder of Wild Women Entrepreneurs, an an exciting international community that helps women achieve their full potential in business and in life. She has won the NATS competition, is a recipient of "Who’s Who Among American College Students," Carnegie Mellon’s Award for "Graduate Vocal Excellence" and the "GUSH Award." For more information about Ja-Naé, visit www.Ja-Nae.com.

Operatic Roles

Concert Experience

Soloist • 9th Symphony, Beethoven
Tufts University; © Clark, 2006
Soloist • Requiem, Mozart
Tufts University; © Clark, 2004
Soloist • John Coltrane Memorial Concert, 2003
Marcellina • Le Nozze di Figaro
Greater Boston Youth Symphony; © Cortese, 2003
Dorabella • Cosi fan tutte
Boston University Opera Institute, 2003
Soloist • Opera Amore
The Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh; © Morales, 2001
Soloist • Messiah, Handel
Northeastern University; © Jacobson, 1998
Soloist • 9th Symphony, Beethoven
Northeastern University; © Jacobson, 1998
Soloist • Vespers, Mozart
Northeastern University; © Jacobson, 1997
Soloist • Mass in G, Shubert
Northeastern University; © Jacobson, 1996
Soloist • Mass in C, Beethoven
Northeastern University; © Jacobson, 1995
Soloist • The White House Concert Series, 1994

Apprentice Programs

Chautauqua Opera, 2005
Boston University Opera Institute, 2002-2004
Bay Area Summer Opera Institute, 1998, 1999

Teachers/Coaches

Mark Oswald, Carrie-Ann Matheson, Stephen Steiner, Sharon Daniels, Joanna Levy, Carol Rausch, John Keene, Mimi Lerner, Dottie Randall, William Lumpkin, Patricia Craig, Miriam Charney, Allison Voth, Michelle Alexander, Jeffrey Stevens, Stephen Carey, Jeanne Segal

Education

Carnegie Mellon University: Master of Opera Theatre, 2002, Magna Cum Laude
Northeastern University: Bachelor of Music, 2000, Cum Laude

Honors/Awards

Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions Regional Semi-Finalist, 2005
Pi Kappa Lambda, 2002
NATS Winner, 2002
Who’s Who Among American College Students, 2000
Northeastern University Musical Excellence, 1998
Key to the City of West Haven (twice), 1995

Special Skills

Working knowledge of Italian, French, and German; Experience singing opera, jazz, broadway, and oratorio; Composition; 5 years of theatrical training; Dancing; Stage Combat; Teaching music; Production; Stage Management