|
The American soprano, Rita Lilly, obtained her Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Music degree in Music/Vocal Performance/Education from SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music.
Rita Lilly has been a professional freelance singer since 1985. She is familiar to audiences in oratorio, recital, and opera, but most notably for her performances of baroque and early music. She has been lauded by The New York Times for “possessing a voice of strength, clarity, and virtuosity” and by the S.F. Classical Voice for “having a pure, silvery voice with plenty of color.” She has appeared as a featured soloist with ARTEK (Director: Gwendolyn Toth), Bachworks, Bach Aria Group, Rebel, Trinity Church Concerts at One Series, and the New York Consort of Viols, among others. As the soprano soloist of the Waverly Consort, she has toured throughout the USA, Canada and abroad including performances in New York City at Alice Tully Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cloisters and Town Hall. She has been heard in live broadcasts over WNCN, National Public Radio, WNYC and Radio Canada. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Orchestra of the Old Fairfield Academy, Vineyard Music, Levin Baroque Ensemble, Long Island Baroque Ensemble, Brandenberg Collegium, Central City Chorus, Bronx Choral Society, New York Choral Society, The American Boychoir, American Classical Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, among other organizations.
Since coming to the the San Francisco Bay area, Rita Lilly has been a soloist with the Albany Consort, American Bach Soloists (Director: Jeffrey Thomas), Artists' Vocal Ensemble (AVE), Bay Choral Guild, Berkeley Early Music Festival, California Bach Society (Director: Paul Flight), Chora Nova, Jubilate (formerly Magnificat) Baroque Orchestra, Sacramento Baroque Soloists, Musicsources, S.F. Concert Chorale, S.F. Renaissance Voices, and other groups.
Rita Lilly is on the faculty of the SFEMS Baroque Summer Workshop as voice instructor and maintains an active vocal studio in her home El Cerrito in the Bay Area. She is on the faculty as Choral Director Women's Chorus at Mills College (since 2017), and Faculty voice teacher at Pacific Boychoir Academy in Oakland (since January 2015), served for five years as Music Director at St. Jerome Catholic Church in El Cerrito (2005-2009) and is presently the Music Director of the Lafayette Christian Church in Lafayette, California (since 2013). |
