Soprano Michèle Eaton has earned praise for her pure voice and sensitive interpretations.  Highly respected for her mastery of many styles, she is best known for her performances of Baroque and contemporary music.  She sang the roles of Child Grendel and Shaper’s Apprentice in the New York premiere of the opera Grendel, directed by Julie Taymor and composed by Elliot Goldenthal.  On the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in New York City, she has performed Handel’s Solomon and Saul, Bach’s Mass in B minor, Tavener’s Lament of the Mother of God, Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and Couperin’s Leçons de Tenebres.  She frequently tours and records with the acclaimed Renaissance vocal group Pomerium, long recognized as one of the world’s premiere ensembles for its beautiful phrasing and perfect intonation.  With the Ensemble for Early Music she has appeared in staged productions of Sponsus, a medieval morality play.  She has sung with the Carmel Bach Festival since 2008 (http://www.bachfestival.org).

Ms. Eaton’s other solo oratorio performances have included Handel’s Israel in Egypt, Judas Macabaeus and the Messiah, Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore and Requiem, Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions and Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Faure’s Requiem, Haydn’s Missa Sancti Johanni, Vivaldi’s Magnificat, Carissimi’s Jephte, Purcell’s Come Ye Sons of Art and Schubert’s Mass in G.  In addition, she tours annually with Professor Peter Schickele in performances of the music of the legendary P.D.Q. Bach.

She is equally at home in performances of contemporary music.  She has sung John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music with both the Jacksonville and Pasadena Symphonies, and she is currently touring internationally with the Philip Glass Ensemble in performances of Einstein on the Beach;  she has also performed and recorded Glass’ Hydrogen Jukebox.  At the Aspen Music Festival, she was a Vocal Chamber Music Fellow and premiered Henry Brant’s Rain Forest Requiem.  She can be heard on the soundtrack for the film Dead Man Walking, and on the recently released Bobby McFerrin CD, Vocalbularies. She has recorded on the Deutsche Grammophon, Angel, Dorian, Sony Classics, Nonesuch, Arabesque, Glissando and Delos labels.  She lives in New Rochelle, New York with her husband, Mark Burns.

Critical notices:

“Gifted with a voice of crystalline clarity, Eaton enchanted the listeners with her pure sonority and charming presence.”  

— Cleveland Plain Dealer

“...purity of intonation, clarity of timbre and subtlety of inflection.”

— Boston Globe

“...spectacularly moving performance of The Lament of the Mother of God.”

— Bronym Long

“...her voice is clearer than a bell and very beautiful.”

— Woodstock Times

“That was a delectable performance.  She is thinking about the meaning of the words.  What more could one want?”  

— Martin Katz, quoted in the Daily Hampshire Gazette

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