Upcoming engagements for soprano Jennifer O’Loughlin are Gilda and Queen of the Night at the Vienna Volksoper, Queen of the Night at the Hamburg State Opera in 2011, and Frau Fluth and Cunegonde at the Volksoper in 2012.
2009-10 season held a series of triumphs for American soprano JENNIFER O’LOUGHLIN at the Vienna Volksoper. Singing the fiesty Frau Fluth, Ms. O’Loughlin was hailed by the press as having “… mastered the role with her bell-like voice” in the December premiere of “Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor” (WHL/APA). Her recent performance of Konstanze in “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” was praised in Der Neue-Merker: “Jennifer O’Loughlin is a born coloratura soprano with a wonderfully beautiful, pure, and clear voice that is absolutely ideal for Mozart.” She also garnered critical acclaim for her portrayal of Gilda in a new production of “Rigoletto”. Earlier in the season, Ms. O’Loughlin dazzled the Viennese public as Zerbinetta in R. Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” and was the cover in the same role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She later made her debut at the Nürnberg State Theater also with Zerbinetta.
Ms. O’Loughlin made her Vienna State Opera debut as the Queen of the Night in 2008 and her Salzburg Festival debut in 2007 when she replaced Diana Damrau on 24 hours notice as Susanna in “Le Nozze di Figaro” under the baton of Daniel Harding. She subsequently reprised the role, touring Japan with the Salzburg Festival in 2008 accompanied by the “The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment” under the direction of Robin Ticciati. At the Grand Théâtre de Génève, Ms. O’Loughlin was heard as Pamina in a new production of “Die Zauberflöte” in 2007.
In October 2010, Ms. O’Loughlin performed her first solo aria concert in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein with the Johann Strauss Orchestra under the baton of Alfred Eschwé in honor of the Austrian National Holiday. During the Salzburg Festival’s Mozart year 2006, Ms. O’Loughlin was invited to sing for the Festival’s opening ceremony. The concert under the direction of Manfred Honeck was broadcast live throughout Austria and Germany. Other noteworthy concert engagements include her debut with the Prague Symphony Orchestra singing Dvorák’s Requiem, Brahms’s Requiem at the Vienna Musikverein, her debut at the Bregenz Festival performing Carl Nielsen’s Third Symphony with the Vienna Symphoniker, her debut with the Radio Symphony Saarbrücken for the “Anneliese Rothenberger Gala”, and the American premiere of Zemlinsky’s “Maiblüten blühten überall” for soprano and string sextet under the baton of James Conlon at the Aspen Music Festival.
Ms. O’Loughlin earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from The Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University, where she studied with Ruth Drucker. She continued her vocal studies at the Manhattan School of Music, earning a Master of Music degree while studying with Joan Patenaude-Yarnell. The following year she received a Karajan Foundation Grant to attend the Zürich Opera Studio. She currently studies with Mark Markham.
The recipient of numerous grants and awards, Ms. O’Loughlin won first prize in the “Anneliese Rothenberger Competition” in Mainau, Germany (2003), was a finalist in the “International Jeunesses Musicales Competition” in Montreal, Canada, (2002) received an Encouragement Award from the “George London Foundation” (2002), and won the female Grand Prize in the “International Poulenc Plus! Competition” (1999). Other awards include two nominations for Best Actress by the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera’s Gene Kelly Awards for the roles of Cinderella in “Into the Woods” and Maria in “West Side Story” (1996).
On CD, Ms. O’Loughlin can be heard singing the role of Glauce on the newly released album “Acide” with the Haydn Symphonietta available under the BIS label (May 2008) as well as on the recording of Bernstein’s “Mass” with the Tonkünstler Orchestra available on the Chandos label (February 2009).