Miriam Aks Kushel - Soprano: Home

Miriam Aks Kushel
Soprano

Upcoming engagements include Lady Billows (Albert Herring) and Mrs. Grose (Turn of the Screw) at Intermezzo Music Festival, the title role of Suor Angelica with dell’Arte Opera Ensemble in NYC, and Mrs. Joe in the world premier of Great Expectations with Orion Opera Company.

Miriam attended the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Watch her perform two Mendelssohn duets at a Graz museum.

Miriam appeared as a guest artist at Ohio University. Watch a clip of her as the Mother in Hansel and Gretel.

[David Daniels] could barely contain his excitement over soprano Miriam Kushel, who gave a brilliantly confident account of Britten’s cabaret song Johnny. - Brian Kellow, Opera News, December 2004, Cover article

Soprano Miriam Kushel, has performed in opera, oratorio, recital and musical theatre. In 2008, she was selected by renowned opera diva Martina Arroyo to perform the role of Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera at the Kaye Playhouse. She further explored the dramatic repertoire as a Studio Artist at Sarasota Opera where she covered the roles of Elizabeth in Don Carlos and the title role of Tosca. In addition, she has performed with Glimmerglass Opera, Bard Summerscape, Motor City Lyric Opera, and Ohio University (as a guest artist). Past roles include Mother (Hansel and Gretel), Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Old Lady (Candide), Queen (The Goose Girl), Clara (Signor Deluso), Forrester’s Wife/Owl (Cunning Little Vixen, in Czech) and Terentia (The Beautiful Bridegroom, NY premier).

Miriam has performed as a soloist in oratorio and concert with several choral and orchestral organizations, such as Binghamton Symphony Orchestra, St Geroge’s Choral Society, and the West Village Chorale. In 2007 she was the featured guest soloist with The Glass Menagerie chorus in NYC. Together, they performed a number of sacred and secular pieces for soprano and chorus.

As an interpreter of art song, Miriam and collaborative pianist Jeremy Frank were selected as one of ten duos to participate in the Cleveland Art Song Festival where they performed in master classes with Martin Katz, Warren Jones, Stephanie Blythe, and David Daniels, as well as in the Festival Concert, broadcast on Cleveland Public Radio. Miriam has presented 5 solo recitals, including her NYC debut recital in September 2006 and performed in a joint recital with soprano Catherine Aks at the Berkshire Choral Festival.

Miriam also has a deep affinity for musical theatre and has taken part in a number of readings of new musicals in NYC. These include the demo recording and workshop performances of Seth Bisen-Hersh’s More to Love, and the Dramatists’ Guild presentation of Monica Bauer’s Diet Monologues. She also covered Fredericka von Stade in a concert presentation of Bernstein’s Candide at the Michigan Theatre, and was featured in Joan Morris’ original musical The Police Gazette, alongside Ms. Morris, George Shirley, and Carmen Pelton. Miriam has performed in productions of Sweeney Todd, Company, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Guys and Dolls and was music director of a production of Into the Woods.

Miriam has received training from SUNY Binghamton (BA, Highest Honors in Music), University of Michigan (MM), OperaWorks, the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance, and The Lake Placid Institute for the Arts. Upcoming engagements include Lady Billows (Albert Herring) at Intermezzo Music Festival, the title role of Suor Angelica with dell’Arte Opera Ensemble in NYC, and Mrs. Joe in the world premier of Great Expectations with Orion Opera Company.

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