Mary Creswell
- Associate Professor of Voice, Emeritus
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- Music
Mezzo-soprano Mary Creswell has appeared throughout the United States in opera, oratorio, and chamber music. Her varied performing schedule included the operatic roles of Dorabella, Rosina, and Carmen. Her rich mezzo sound has been heard on the concert stage with the Detroit Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Manchester Symphony, Des Moines Symphony, Austin Symphony, South Carolina Philharmonic, Chattanooga Symphony, Modesto Symphony and regularly with orchestras at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. The orchestrated songs of Mahler, Verdi's Requiem, and Jeremiah Symphony by Bernstein are gems in her repertoire. She was a frequent guest soloist with the American Chamber Players and performed with them in prestigious concert series spanning the country.
Lauded for her extremely versatile voice, Ms. Creswell effortlessly makes the transition from opera house and orchestra hall to chamber music and song recital. She has been described as having an inner pliability on stage, which transcends all boundaries. Her programs flow from Brahms and Ravel to folk songs and humor without missing a beat. She has also been a champion of new music and featured on several recordings under the Albany Label.
She received her early training at the University of Michigan where she was the recipient of the Elisabeth Schwarzkopf-Walter Legge Scholarship for graduate study. Her teachers at Michigan were Beverley Rinaldi and Eugene Bossart. The Metropolitan Opera chose her as a regional finalist, and she has been a guest performer in New York City's Avery Fisher Hall. Iowa performances include the roles of Jade Boucher in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking and Rychtářka in Janáćek’s Jenůfa, Des Moines Metro Opera and mezzo soloist with The Des Moines Symphony in Beethoven’s Ninth.
An enthusiastic teacher of singing, Ms. Creswell served on the faculty of the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp for twenty seasons. She is now Associate Professor of Music at Iowa State University where she teaches voice, vocal pedagogy, and serves as the voice division chair. Her students have been finalist in The Metropolitan Opera Auditions and are heard on Broadway stages and in opera houses throughout the country and Europe.