Mela Dailey, Soprano
As the winner of competitions sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs, Metropolitan Opera, New York University, Gerda Lissner Foundation, Downbeat Magazine, and Connecticut Opera Guild, and finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Mid-South Region, American Traditions Competition, International Opera Singer Competition, and Career Bridges Grant Awards with the Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges, Inc., Mela (mee-la) Dailey has command of both her instrument and the stage. Ms. Dailey has received recognition in a wide variety of musical genres including opera, oratorio, art song, musical theater, vocal jazz, gospel, country, and popular music. Ms. Dailey made her professional debut at Carnegie Hall in 2003 with the Grammy nominated Conspirare Company of Voices directed by Craig Hella Johnson, a group with whom she also recorded CDs at Skywalker Ranch in California and Troy Savings Bank in New York for national release on the Harmonia Mundi and Clarion labels. She has been a recipient of the New York University Talent Scholarship for achievement in musical theater, a winner of the Second Annual University of Texas Opera Gala Aria Competition, and was selected as a New Young Artist with the Victoria Bach Festival.
Mela sang the role of Tina in Jonathan Dove's opera Flight with Austin Lyric Opera in April 2011. She also took part in a jazz concert in Klagenfurt, Austria and made her debut with the Dallas Wind Symphony, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. At the Georgetown (TX) Festival of the Arts she sang Brahms' German Requiem and performed several concerts around the US with cellist Scott Kluksdahl beginning with the Helps Festival of Music in Tampa.
In the fall of 2011 Mela performs and records a Samuel Barber choral program with Conspirare for Harmonia Mundi, is soloist in Rossini's Petite Messe Solenelle with Chorus Austin, and appears as soloist with the Capital City Men's Chorus. She is also thrilled to be a guest soloist for "Conspirare Christmas". 2012 begins with a Conspirare Mid-Western Tour, solo debuts with the Spokane and Edmonton Symphonies, a Florida chamber music tour, and solos in Debussy's La damoiselle élue and Poulenc's Gloria in a return to the Georgetown Festival.
Previous operatic performances include the roles of Ines in Il Trovatore, Countess Ceprano (and covering Gilda) in Rigoletto, and Ida (also covering Adele) in Die Fledermaus with Austin Lyric Opera, Adina in L'Elisir d'Amore and Musetta in La Bohème with the Opera Company of Brooklyn, the title role of Semele at the Staunton Music Festival (VA), and Frasquita in Carmen with the Amarillo Opera. She has performed scenes from Don Giovanni, Die Lustige Witwe and Die Fledermaus with the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra (TX) as well as La Traviata, Rigoletto, La Bohème, Die Fledermaus, The Tales of Hoffmann, Lakmé, Linda di Chamounix, Louise in opera galas with Austin Lyric Opera and the Britt Festival Orchestra (OR). With the Austin Symphony she sang the role of Sophie in the Act 3 Trio and Finale from Der Rosenkavalier. She has also appeared in concert with the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra of Klagenfurt, Austria and was Artist-in-Residence with the Amarillo Opera.
Oratorio appearances include Handel's Messiah with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Handel's Samson, Bach's Magnificat and Schubert's Mass in A-flat with Chorus Austin, and Dvorak's Stabat Mater with the Georgetown Festival of the Arts.
Ms. Dailey has been heard in recital at the Puigcerda Festival in Spain, and in the summer of 2008 she joined tenor Robert White, composer Lowell Liebermann, soprano Martina Arroyo, violinist Timothy Fain, pianist Inon Barnatan, cellist Scott Kluksdahl, and flutist Marya Martin for the Metropolitan Opera sponsored Mediterranean Music Festival which started in Athens and finished in Venice. Her recital work has also taken her to Minneapolis, Louisville, Lexington, Roanoke, and San Antonio. Mela's Austin performances often include pianists Anton Nel and Rick Rowley.
Passionate about many charities and causes, Mela has raised over $100,000 for Austin groups including Life Works, Austin Lyric Opera, Austin's After School Arts Programs, GLBT Alliance, Historical Organ Restoration, Honor Our Heroes, an Alzheimer's care facility called House of Friends, and many more. In November 2011, she will help another great organization, The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, by headlining the Survivors Brunch Concert.
Beginning Christmas Eve, Ms. Dailey becomes Director of Contemporary Arts at First United Methodist Church. She is thrilled to be leading a monthly Sunday evening service at 6:30pm. For more information go to www.fumc.org.
Finally, Mela's debut CD with Scott Kluksdahl entitled Shelter will be released commercially in the Winter of 2011 and will be available through Amazon.com and iTunes.
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