Elizabeth DeShong

Elizabeth DeShong, born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is an acclaimed American mezzo-soprano admired for the richness and evenness of her voice, her musicianship and her commanding stage presence. A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory and the Curtis Institute, she has built an international career at houses including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and the Bavarian State Opera, in a repertoire ranging from Rossini and Handel to Verdi, Strauss and Wagner. Praised as one of the most intelligent singing actresses of her generation, she brings dramatic urgency and a sumptuous lower register to Waltraute’s great narration.