Biography

Barbara Shirvis' 2009-10 season currently includes returns to Toledo Opera as Alice Ford in Verdi's Falstaff, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra as Fiordiligi in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, and the Rochester Philharmonic in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. She also sings the title role in Tosca with the Minnesota Orchestra and in a recital, "Hearts Afire" with husband Stephen Powell in Dallas, Texas. Her 2008-09 season included Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly with Utah Opera, and Liu in Turandot in a fully staged production for the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, as soloist in Haydn's The Creation with the Rochester Philharmonic, in Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Syracuse Symphony, and in recital in a new program entitled "American Celebration", in her continuing collaboration with husband, baritone Stephen Powell. In the summer of 2009 she sang Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 at the Brevard Music Festival. She also made role debuts as Mimi in Puccini's La boheme in a fully staged production with the West Virginia Symphony, and as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello with Opera Roanoke.

Recent highlights include performances of Liu in a return to Kentucky Opera and Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with North Carolina Symphony. On concert stages she performed as soloist in Verdi's Requiem for the West Virginia Symphony, Brahms' Requiem for the New Mexico Symphony, Orff's Carmina Burana for the Rochester Philharmonic, Beethoven's "Ah, perfido" with the Amarillo Symphony, and duo recitals with her husband. In the summer of 2007 she sang Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly at the Aspen Music Festival under the baton of David Zinman.

2006-07 began for the "authentic blonde beauty" (Opera News) with performances of Juliette in Romeo and Juliette for Toledo Opera, continued with Mendelssohn's Elijah for Jacksonville Symphony (conductor Fabio Mechetti), Leila in Les pecheurs de perles for Kentucky Opera, and Liu to Sharon sweet's Turandot for New Jersey Opera Theatre.

The "magnificent soprano Barbara Shirvis moved from strength to strength" (Los Angeles Times) through three new opera roles in the 2005-06 season: as the "luminous" Tatyana (Cleveland Plain Dealer) in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin for Cleveland Opera, the "sultry and feral" Nedda (The Blade) in Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci for Toledo Opera and the "beautiful" Alice Ford (Times of Trenton) in Verdi's Falstaff  for New Jersey Opera Theatre. Ms Shirvis continued her full concert schedule by singing the soprano solos in Dvorak's Requiem for Florida Orchestra (conductor Grant Llewellyn), Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 for Phoenix Symphony (conductor Michael Christie), Handel's Messiah with Houston Symphony, and the Brahms Requiem with Bangor Symphony. The season also unveiled the first performances of "Bellissimo Broadway!", the latest duet recital created by Barbara and baritone Stephen Powell, an addition to their original creation, Hearts Afire; love songs through the ages. The two singers frequent collaboration also includes master classes at Universities and Colleges.

Barbara Shirvis' performance history includes an abundance of Mozart: The soprano has sung Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, "with gorgeous tone-- the musical highlight" (Boston Globe) for San Diego Opera, Opera company of Rio de Janeiro, Arizona Opera and Berkshire Opera. She has appeared as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni for Jacksonville Symphony, Syracuse Opera and Berkshire Opera, "her phrasing and agility illustrated what a great Mozart singer she is" (WBRK), and has also essayed the role of Donna Anna for the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. Puccini being another great love for this versatile singer, Ms. Shirvis has sung the title role in Tosca with New Jersey Symphony (conductor George Manahan) and West Virginia Symphony, and Madama Butterfly with the Eastern Music Festival (conductor George Manahan). Another favorite role and one that evinces her comedic gift is Rosalinde in Strauss' Die Fledermaus, which she has sung with Boston Lyric Opera and Knoxville Opera. Rounding out her most recent performances were her appearances as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata with Syracuse Opera, Micaela in Bizet's Carmen with Florentine Opera, Curly's Wife in Floyd's Of Mice and Men for Edmonton Opera and in the double bill of Menotti's The Telephone and Wolf-Ferrari's Susanna's Secret for Jacksonville Symphony, both with husband Stephen Powell.

Concert credits include Poulenc's Gloria and Holiday Concerts with Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Messiah with the symphonies of Houston, Jacksonville, Colorado, as well as the Pacific Symphony, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the symphonies of Phoenix, Spokane and Fort Wayne, Brahms Requiem with the Jacksonville Symphony and Colorado Music Festival, Janacek's Glagolitic Mass and Poulenc's Stabat Mater with New Mexico Symphony, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass at Carnegie Hall, Schubert's Mass in G at Avery Fisher Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra, Mozart's Requiem with Jacksonville Symphony and on a European tour with the Dallas Symphony Chorus which also included Mendelssohn's Lobegesang.  Ms. Shirvis has appeared in recital at New York's Weill recital hall, and has also performed with the National Symphony in a series of concerts led by conductor and vocalist Bobby McFerrin.

Barbara Shirvis began her career at New York City Opera where she sang for a decade in such roles as Micaela, Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute, Sophie in Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier and Yum-Yum in Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado.  Barbara lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, baritone Stephen Powell and their two children.