The soprano solo role in Carmina Burana will be performed by returning Canterbury soprano soloist Jennifer Grimaldi Toohey. Jennifer made her European debut as the soprano soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Charlemagne Orchestra in Brussels, under the direction of Bartholomeus-Henri Van de Velde.
Solo engagements for Ms. Grimaldi Toohey include the soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Canterbury Choral Society at Carnegie Hall, the Vier letzte Lieder of Richard Strauss at Symphony Space in NYC with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra and NY Repertory Orchestra, soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Babylon Chorale, soprano soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Canterbury Choral Society in NYC, soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 and Symphony No. 2 with the Minería National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico City, Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder with the NY Repertory Orchestra, soprano soloist in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with the Flint Symphony in Michigan and soprano soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Sheboygan Symphony in Wisconsin and Mahler’s 8th Symphony with both the Nashua and Lexington Symphony Orchestras.
Additional highlights include the soprano soloist in Britten’s War Requiem & Brahms’ Ein deutches Requiem with the Queens College Choral Society; Mozart’s Requiem with the Reona Ito Chamber Orchestra and Chorus; Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Queens College Orchestra, Bach’s Magnificat; Vivaldi’s Gloria with the New Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra; Handel’s Messiah with The New York Repertory Orchestra in conjunction with the New York Festival Singers; Barber’s Knoxville Summer of 1915 with Agincourt Orchestra; and Mozart’s Exultate, Jubilate with the Third Street Music School Settlement Orchestra.
Jennifer Grimaldi Toohey has performed with US opera companies and festivals including Sarasota Opera, Brevard Music Festival, Intermezzo Opera Festival, Utah Festival Opera, and Raylynmor Opera. She created the role of Dolly in the New York City Premiere of Orpheus Descending by Bruce Saylor.
A graduate of The Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, Ms. Grimaldi Toohey is the co-founder and co-owner of the Long Island Studio of Music, serves on the voice faculty at The Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, and is as program director and voice teacher for the Queens Summer Vocal Institute.
Jennifer is a long-time student of her voice teacher and mentor Dr. Sherry Overholt.