Rebecca Copley

Copley is a resident of Lindsborg, Kansas, a Swedish arts community and the home of Bethany College, where she received her training.{{cite news |title=MET SOPRANO'S ROOTS ARE PLANTED FIRMLY IN KANSAS |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WE&s_site=kansas&p_multi=WE&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADB3B235EBE3ED&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |work=The Wichita Eagle |date=1990-02-18 |accessdate=2008-02-23 }} She began her career as a concert soprano and has performed with many American orchestras.{{cite news |title=FRIDAY SWEDISH HERITAGE |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5DE1E3EF936A25757C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |work=The New York Times |date=1988-04-15 |accessdate=2008-02-23 | first=Andrew L. | last=Yarrow}}

Cropley made her New York concert debut in 1986 as the soprano soloist in Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B minor with the Musica Sacra chorus and conductor Richard Westenburg at Avery Fisher Hall.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/05/arts/b-minor-mass-planned.html?searchResultPosition=1|title=B-Minor Mass Planned|work=The New York Times|date=March 5, 1986|page=C17}} She performed with that ensemble again at the same venue as the soprano soloist in the world premiere of McNeil Robinson's Messe Solennelle (1987),{{cite news |title=MUSICA SACRA OFFERS MODERN PROGRAM |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE0DB113CF935A15757C0A961948260 |work=The New York Times |date=1987-04-26 |accessdate=2008-02-23 | first=Tim | last=Page}} and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Coronation Mass (1988).{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/04/arts/musica-sacra.html?searchResultPosition=5|title=Musica Sacra|work=The New York Times|date=March 4, 1988|page=C14}}

Copley made her professional opera debut in 1987 as Desdemona in Giuseppe Verdi's Otello at the New Jersey State Opera opposite James McCracken in the title role.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/08/nyregion/mccracken-to-sing-in-centennial-otello.html?searchResultPosition=2|title=MCCRACKEN TO SING IN CENTENNIAL 'OTELLO'|work=The New York Times|date=March 8, 1987}} Soon after, she performed excerpts from several operas in multiple concerts with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra; among them Tristan und Isolde (1987){{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/07/nyregion/music-jazz-beethoven-and-a-new-ensemble.html?searchResultPosition=10|title=MUSIC; Jazz, Beethoven and a New Ensemble|author=Rena Fruchter|date=August 7, 1988|work=The New York Times}} and Lohengrin (1988).{{cite news |title=Music for Star-Crossed Lovers |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE0DE1E30F93AA25757C0A96E948260 |work=The New York Times |date=1988-04-19 |accessdate=2008-02-23 | first=John | last=Rockwell}} She also was a soprano soloist with that orchestra in performances of Verdi's Requiem and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. She performed the latter work again with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in 1991.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/14/nyregion/music-afternoon-triple-play-that-s-off-the-diamond.html?searchResultPosition=13|title=MUSIC; Afternoon 'Triple Play' That's Off the Diamond|author=Robert Sherman|date=April 14, 1991|work=The New York Times}} In 1988 she was the soprano soloist in the United States premiere of Eduard Tubin's Symphony No. 3. with the Long Island Philharmonic.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/30/nyregion/long-island-guide.html?searchResultPosition=11|title=LONG ISLAND GUIDE|author=Barbara Delatiner|date=October 30, 1988|page=13|work=The New York Times}}

In 1991 Copley made her debut at the New York City Opera in the title role of Giacomo Puccini's Turandot.{{cite news |title=New Leads In City Opera 'Turandot' |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE1DA1E39F937A2575BC0A967958260 |work=The New York Times |date=1991-08-14 |accessdate=2008-02-23 | first=Allan | last=Kozinn}} She made an unexpected debut at the Metropolitan Opera on October 3, 1992; replacing an ailing Aprile Millo mid performance in the role of Amelia in Un ballo in maschera for acts II and III of the opera.{{cite web|url=https://archives.metopera.org/MetOperaSearch/record.jsp?dockey=0380127|title=Un Ballo in Maschera; Metropolitan Opera House, Sat, October 3, 1992 Matinee|work=Metropolitan Opera Performance Archive|access-date=October 17, 2024}} She went on the sing the entire opera at the Met for the following October 7, 1992 performance with Richard Leech as Riccardo, Juan Pons as Renato, and Harolyn Blackwell as Oscar.{{cite news|url=https://archives.metopera.org/MetOperaSearch/record.jsp?dockey=0380131|title=Un Ballo in Maschera; Metropolitan Opera House, Wed, October 7, 1992|work=Metropolitan Opera Performance Archive|access-date=October 17, 2024}} Subsequent roles she has performed at the Met include The First Lady in The Magic Flute (1993), Gerhilde in Die Walküre (2004 and 2005), Abigaille in Nabucco (2004), and the title role in Turandot (2005).{{cite news|title=Rebecca Copley|work=Metropolitan Opera Performance Archives}}

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• [http://www.rebeccacopley.com/biography.html Personal site]

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Category:1952 births

Category:Living people

Category:American people of Swedish descent

Category:American operatic sopranos

Category:Bethany College (Kansas) alumni

Category:21st-century American women

Category:Sigma Alpha Iota