With a voice the Boston Globe called “extraordinary in range, tonal quality, musicianship and dramatic effect,” soprano Tracey Engleman has gained a reputation for excellence in opera, recital and concert. Most recently, Ms. Engleman was awarded a 2016 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Musicians. Recent operatic roles include Papagena in The Magic Flute, Ofglen in The Handmaid’s Tale, the Page in Rigoletto and the Girl in the Bed in Casanova’s Homecoming with the Minnesota Opera, Julie in The New Moon with Music by the Lake, Kathy in The Student Prince with Skylark Opera, the School Teacher in Ainadamar with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Adina in L’Elisir d’amore and Norina in Don Pasquale with the Rochester Aria Group, and Elivira in I puritani with Minnesota Concert Opera. In 2010, Ms. Engleman premiered the role of Isabella Smith in The Ladysmith Story, a contemporary opera by Minnesota composer Christopher Gable.
Particularly gifted as a performer of contemporary music, Ms. Engleman has performed Two Poems from the Sung Dynasty with conductor and composer Bright Sheng with the Chicago Chamber Musicians and at the Festival of Contemporary Music at the Tanglewood Music Center. Ms. Engleman premiered Minnesota composer Libby Larsen’s new orchestral version of Sonnets from the Portuguese with the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra and recently premiered songs from the CD Tipping Point by composer Scott Miller with the internationally known contemporary ensemble, Zeitgeist. Upcoming performances include Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire with the St. Olaf Chamber Players.
Highlights from Ms. Engleman’s Oratorio performances include Orff’s Carmina Burana and Handel's Messiah with Rochester Choral Arts, Orff’s Catulli Carmina , Poulenc’s Gloria and Vaughan Williams’ Hodie, and Rossini's La Petite Messe Solennelle with the Milwaukee Bel Canto Chorus, numerous appearances with the Valley Chamber Chorale including performances of Rutter’s Mass of the Children, Bach’s Easter Oratorio, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, Mozart’s Exultate, Jubilate, Coronation Mass, Solemn Vespers, and Regina Coeli, Poulenc’s Gloria with the Minnesota Choral Union and Symphony, and the Gorecki 3rd Symphony with the Cannon Valley Orchestra. As a member of the voice faculty at St. Olaf College, Ms. Engleman has performed the soprano solos in the Mozart Requiem, Brahms Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42 and Elijah, Barber’s Prayers of Kierkegaard, and Britten’s War Requiem with the St. Olaf Choirs and Orchestra, as well as appearing with the St. Olaf Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall in New York City singing the songs of Edvard Grieg.
A frequent recitalist, Ms. Engleman has sung many Courtroom Concerts for The Schubert Club in St. Paul, has been a featured recitalist for the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Convention, a guest recitalist at Hope College in Holland Michigan, and performed Messiaen’s Poemes Pour Mi at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. Ms. Engleman has also performed recitals of Libby Larsen's Sonnets from the Portuguese and My Antonia as part of the Source Song Festival in Minneapolis.
Tracey Engleman spent two years as a Vocal Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and was also one of ten singer/pianist teams from around the country selected to participate in the Art Song Festival at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Other Awards include 1st place and “Audience Choice” winner in the Austin Lyric Opera Young Artist Competition, Finalist in the Sun Valley Opera Competition, a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, recipient of the Minnesota NATS Artist Award, 1st place winner of the Milwaukee Bel Canto Chorus Regional Artist Competition and 1st place winner of the Kenwood Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition. Ms. Engleman earned M.M. and D.M.A. degrees from the University of Minnesota, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at St. Olaf College where she teaches voice, vocal pedagogy and vocal solo literature.
Tracey Gorman, with her agile coloratura, made an appealing Kathie, especially touching at the end when she sacrifices herself for the prince.”
Michael Anthony, Minneapolis Star Tribune
“The production boats a pair of lead lovers with outstanding voices….Tracey Gorman’s clear powerful high notes unleash all the desired adrenalin and misty romanticism the score demands.”
Rob Hubbard, St. Paul Pioneer Press
“The Handmaid Ofglen, sung with crystalline purity by Tracey Gorman….”
Heidi Waleson, The Wall Street Journal
“Tracey Gorman brightened the stage as Ofglen, Offred’s friend, who turns out to be a member of the underground resistance.”
Joshua Rosenblum, Opera News
“One standout was Tracey Gorman’s gutsy Ofglen….”
Thomas May, Andante.com
“Soprano Tracey Gorman, singing in Mandarin, poured her heart out while an ensemble of 13 under Sheng’s spirited direction accompanied her with flair.”
Ted Sheng, Chicago Tribune
“Holding both values in balance [superior vocal and verbal values] were sopranos Tracey Gorman…
Richard Dyer, Boston Globe
“Soprano Tracey Gorman was extraordinary in range, tonal quality, musicianship, and dramatic effect in the two contrasting songs, one delicate, one terrifying.”
Richard Dyer, Boston Globe
“…in the performances (in Chinese) by Tracey Gorman and an instrumental ensemble conducted by Sheng, the second song was shattering in intensity.”
Andrew L. Pincus, The Berkshire Eagle
Recent Opera Work:
Dinner At Eight (Workshop) Kitty Packard Minnesota Opera
Swede Hollow Graciela, ViolettaSt. Paul, MN
The Magic Flute Papagena Minnesota Opera
The Manchurian Candidate Ensemble Minnesota Opera
The Magic Flute Papagena Minnesota Opera
Doubt Ensemble Minnesota Opera
I puritani Elvira MN Concert Opera
Amahl and the Night Visitors Mother Northfield, MN
The Ladysmith Story Isabel Smith Red Eye Theater
Casanova’s Homecoming Girl in Bed Minnesota Opera
Casanova’s Homecoming Barbara (Cover) Minnesota Opera
The New Moon Julie Music by the Lake
The Student Prince Kathy Skylark Opera
L’Eliser d’amore Adina Rochester Aria Group
The Grapes of Wrath (Act I Workshop)Various Minnesota Opera
Ainadamar School Teacher L.A. Philharmonic
The Handmaid’s Tale Ofglen Minnesota Opera
Rigoletto Page (Gilda cover) Minnesota Opera
Don Pasquale Norina Rochester Aria Group
Recent Concert and Oratorio Works:
Goodnight Moon Whitacre St. Olaf College
McKnight Award Concert for Libby Larsen MacPhail Center for Music
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 Villa-Lobos St. Olaf College
Pierrot Lunaire Schoenberg St. Olaf College
Requiem Mozart St. Olaf College
Petite Messe Solenelle Rossini Milwaukee Bel Canto Chorus
Messiah Handel Rochester Choral Arts
Sonnets from the Portuguese Larsen La Crosse Symphony Orchestra
War Requiem Britten St. Olaf College
Russian Seasons Concert Various Park Square Theater, St. Paul
Rejoice in the Lamb Britten St. Olaf College
Mass in C Major Beethoven Valley Chamber Chorale
Choral Fantasy Beethoven Valley Chamber Chorale
La ci darem la mano Mozart Wayzata Symphony Orchestra
Carmina Burana Orff Rochester Symphony/Chorale
Requiem Brahms St. Olaf College
Easter Oratorio Bach Valley Chamber Chorale
Elijah Mendelssohn St. Olaf College
Symphony No. 3 Gorecki Cannon Valley Orchestra
Gloria Poulenc Valley Chamber Chorale
Liebeslieder Waltzer Brahms Alexandria Festival of Lakes
Poemes Pour Mi Messiaen Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN
My Fair Lady (Eliza) Lerner and LoweRochester Symphony
Rejoice in the Lamb Britten Valley Chamber Chorale
Psalm 42 Mendelssohn St. Olaf College
Prayers of Kierkegaard Barber St. Olaf Colleg
Mass of the Children Rutter Valley Chamber Chorale
The National Anthem Minnesota Orchestra
Swedish Recital Various National NATS Convention
Guest Artist Recital Various Hope College, Holland, MI
Exultate, Jubilant. Mozart Valley Chamber Chorale
Coronation Mass Mozart. Valley Chamber Chorale
Solemn Vespers, Regina Coeli Mozart Valley Chamber Chorale
Soloist with St. Olaf OrchestraGrieg Alice Tully Hall, NYC
Catulli Carmina Orff Milwaukee Bel Canto Chorus
Gloria Poulenc Milwaukee Bel Canto
Gloria Poulenc Minnesota Choral Union
Two Poems from the Sung Dynasty Sheng Chicago Chamber Musicians
Chateau de l’ame Saariaho Boston Symphony
Hodie R.V. Williams Milwaukee Bel Canto Chorus
