AMY ELIZABETH WHEELER

BIO

Raised   in   New   York   City,   Amy   Elizabeth   Wheeler   began   her   formal   training   as   a   young   dancer with   the   American   Ballet   Theater.   She   later   shifted    focus   to   study   music   and   singing,   and graduated   from   the   Fiorello   LaGuardia   High   School   of   Music   &   Art   and   received   her   bachelor degree   in   voice   from   the   Manhattan   School   of   Music.   Her   career   began   with   the   MGM   film   Fame,    followed   by   a   European   tour   of   the   Broadway   musical   Hair   performing   the   role   of   Crissy. She   made   her   operatic   debut   in   1990   with   the   Warsaw   Chamber   Opera   as   Fauno   in   Mozart’s Ascanio   in   Alba ,   and   toured   with   the   company   throughout   Europe   performing   Mozart   roles such   as   Cherubino   ( Le   Nozze   di   Figaro ),   Blondchen   ( Die   Entführung   aus   dem   Serail ),   and   Ismene ( Mitridate   re   di   Ponto ).   She   was   also   featured   as   Cupid   in   the   WCO’s   premier   of   John   Blow’s Venus   and   Adonis ,   where   she   began   her   collaboration   with   renaissance   lutenist   Jaroslaw   Lipski. They   performed   numerous   concerts   at   early   music   festivals   in   Poland   as   well   as   recording   and producing    their    critically    acclaimed    CD    of    English    lute    songs    titled     What    Thing    Is    Love   (Peregrine   Records).   Last   seen,   the   duo   was   showcased   by   the   Gotham   Early   Music   Scene   at the APAP conference in NYC in 2009. From   1994-2001,   Amy   performed   regularly   with   orchestras   at   international   festivals   such   as the   "Madrid   Mozart   Festival",   the   "49th   International   Chopin   Festival",   "Le   Festival   d’Europe   du Nord",   and   appeared   as   Damon   in   Handel’s   Acis   &   Galetea   broadcast   live   for   Poland’s   National Television.   In   1998,   she   formed   the   Peregrine   Consort   a   consortium   of   artists   and   musicians from   the   Drottningholm   Court   Theater,   Warsaw   Chamber   Opera,   Concerto   Copenhagen   and the    Gothenburg    Symphony    Orchestra.    The    ensemble    debuted    with    a    performance    of Alessandro   Scarlatti's   Stabat   Mater    at   Poland's   National   Philharmonic   and   went   on   to   perform at   the   International   Wratisalvia   Cantans   Festival,   the   Bach   2000   Celebration   at   the   Royal   Castle in   Warsaw,   and   the   prestigious   100th   anniversary   season   at   Poland's   National   Philharmonic. Highlights    from    concert    programs    researched    and    arranged    by    Amy    include    Baldessare Galuppi’s   motet   Confitebor   tibi,   Domine,    Songs   &   Duets   from   the   English   renaissance,   and   semi- staged   versions   of   G.F.   Handel's   Amarilli   Vezzosa    and   Alessandro   Scarlatti’s   serenata   A   battaglia pensieri . In    Gothenburg,    Sweden,    Amy    works    as    an    artist,    producer,    and    artistic    director.    As artist/producer   she   has   collaborated   with   members   of   the   Gothenburg   Symphony   Orchestra in    performances    of    The    Ugly    Duckling     (in    Swedish    translation),    scored    by    Jon    Deak    for soprano,    double    bass    and    string    quartet.    Concerts    were    presented    by    the    Gothenburg Konserthus’s   family   concert   series,   the   Bohus   Opera   Summer   Festival,   and   the   Backa   Theater. Her   production   of   The   Ugly   Duckling    was   first   presented   by   American   Opera   Projects   in   New York City in AOP’s  First Night concert series. Further   projects   with   members   of   the   GSO      include   collaboration   with   Swedish   contemporary composer      Jan   Alm   and    “The   Martinson   Project” ,   an   ensemble   focused   on   performing   Alm’s     Martinson   Songs    set   to   the   poems   of   Harry   Martinson   and   scored   for   voice,   piano,   harp   and string   quartet.   The   ensemble   performed   the   debut   performance   of   the   Martinson   Songs       in   the Gothenburg    Konserthuset’s    Chamber    Music    series    and    later    were    presented    by    Poland's National    Philharmonic    in    a    program    titled    “Scandinaviana”.    The    program    featured    the Martinson   Songs    as   well   as   chamber   music   by   Grieg,   Nielsen,   Sibelius   and   Stenhammar   and was   presented   in   collaboration   with   the   Swedish   Embassy   in   Warsaw   and   sponsored   by   Volvo, SEBanken and the Swedish Institute. Amy   introduced   the   production   idea   of   a   singing   Christmas   tree   to   the   city   of   Gothenburg   in 2004   as   a   part   of   their   annual   event   Julstaden   Göteborg   (Christmas   in   Gothenburg)   and   was hired   as   the   production’s   artistic   director.   Since   then      Den   Sjungande   Julgranen       (the   Singing Christmas   Tree)   has   become   a   mainstay   of   the   city’s   Christmas   festivities.   In   2015,   she   was invited   to   direct   a   similar   production,   the    Det   sjungande   sjömärket    (the   singing   seamark)   at the    Volvo    Ocean    Race    finish-line    which    featured    a    program    of    international    sea    songs performed   Brunnsbo   Musikklasser   (grades   4-6)   and   the   Gothenburg   Boys   Choir   (Göteborgs Gosskör)   .   Amy   has   become   increasingly   active   in   Gothenburg’s   theatrical   choir   scene   assisting with choreography, stage directing, and running workshops. In    1998,    Amy    started     Peregrine    Records,    Productions    &    Management     to    provide    an organisation   to   support   her   production   and   recording   projects.   She   collaborates   with   artists and producers to develop stage production ideas, workshops and recording projects. Working   from   her   studio,   Amy   writes,   records   and   produces   vocal   tracks   for   film   and   television placements   as   well   as   for   other   producers.   She   is   signed   with   several   music   publishers   and production   libraries   and   her   recordings   have   been   placed   in   both   TV   documentaries   and feature films. AWARDS: Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation award supporting her research on 18th Century Venetian composer Baldessare Galuppi (2004/5) The Fund, a Rockefeller/Kennedy Foundation award for her work as a U.S. artist at international festivals (2000). First Prize in the 92nd St. Y's Symphonic Workshop concerto competition for young artists, performing Mozart's "Exultate Jubilate" conducted by Yaccov Bergman at Kaufmann Concert Hall, NYC (1986). Most recent:  Director / Choreographer for Eric Whitcacre’s epic choral work “Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine”  - With Göteborgs Ungdomskör (The Gothenburg Youth Choir) conducted by Anne Johansson Songs of Perfect Propriety, with pianist Kristie Born, poems by Dorothy Parker set to music by Seymour Barab, on the Peregrine Records label.

Amy Elizabeth Wheeler RECORDINGS on Peregrine Records