(October 27, 2014)

Centenary welcomes Attaway Scholar Dr. Suzanne Ramo

SHREVEPORT, LA — Dr. Suzanne Ramo, Soprano, will visit Centenary's campus as an Attaway Scholar November 6-8, 2014. Ramo will present a lecture recital discussing the father/daughter relationship as realized in the operas of Giuseppe Verdi, assisted by her colleague David Small of the University of Texas at Austin and pianist Daniel Ley. Ramo and Small will also be sharing their combined knowledge with the students of Centenary both in close discussion and in public master classes.

All events take place in the Anderson Auditorium of Centenary College's Hurley School of Music and are free and open to the public.

Events:

• Master class with Suzanne Ramo: Thursday, November 6, 5:00— 7:30 p.m.

• Master class with David Small: Friday, November 7, 5:00 — 7:30 p.m.

• Lecture Recital with Suzanne Ramo and David Small: Saturday, November 8, 4:30 p.m.

As the city of Shreveport eagerly awaits Shreveport Opera's production of La traviata by Verdi, Ramo will explain the importance of the relatively ancient art form of opera and how it continues to inform the population on current social and familial matters. She will be sharing her insights on the musical, psychological, and social aspects of the father/daughter relationship in Verdi's works, concentrating on the operas Luisa Miller, Rigoletto, and La traviata. As all classical music fights for relevancy in today's society, Ramo will explore how these particular works continue to address contemporary issues.

Ramo has been lauded by the San Francisco Chronicle for an ease with coloratura that one hears "blazing forth brightly" with "lyrical phrasing sweetly rendered." She recently brought her crystalline soprano to Orff's Carmina Burana with Ballet Austin, as well as Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Panamá. A frequent presence with Austin Lyric Opera, she joined the company as Constance in Les dialogues des Carmélites, a portrayal that earned her a nomination for an Austin Critics' Table Award as Best Singer of the 2008-2009 season. She earned a second nomination for her performance as soprano soloist in Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem with the Texas Choral Consort in the 2013-14 season. Other performances include Musetta in La bohème (Utah Opera); title role of The Ballad of Baby Doe, Der Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, Woglinde in Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung, Der Waldvogel in Siegfried (San Francisco Opera); and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro (Berkshire Opera). Her celebrated concert performances include Beethoven's Christus am &Omul;lberge (Philharmonia Baroque); Handel's Messiah (Austin Symphony Orchestra, Pennsylvania Ballet), Poulenc's Gloria (Austin Symphony Orchestra); Strauss' Vier letzte Lieder (Laredo Phil), Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (Victoria Symphony); Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem (Brazos Valley Symphony, Texas Choral Consort); and Mozart's Requiem (Musica Ecclesiae).

Ramo holds a doctor of musical arts degree in vocal performance from The University of Texas at Austin. Beyond her lecture recital, she will be working closely with the students of the Hurley School of Music to provide insight into the inner workings of a career as a singer and professional musician.

Funded by and named for Douglas and Marion Attaway, the Attaway Professorships in Civic Culture, Attaway Fellows, and Attaway Scholars designations are awarded to intellectuals who have made notable contributions to the public discussion. Any student, faculty, or staff member may propose Attaway Fellows or Scholars to the Convocation Committee, who in turn make recommendations to the Provost.

The Hurley School of Music is located on the campus of Centenary College of Louisiana at 2911 Centenary Boulevard in Shreveport, LA. All concerts and events at Hurley are free and open to the public. For further information, call the Hurley Music Office at 318.869.5235.