Jennifer Marshall, soprano, and Emily Landa Levine, mezzo-soprano, sang favorite duets from opera (and elsewhere), accompanied by David Baranowski. We are so grateful for their gift of music, and for those who helped raise funds for the chorus by attending and also participating in the silent auction.
Soprano Jennifer Marshall-Baranowski and mezzo-soprano Emily Landa Levin met in 2002 in their first semester of graduate school at Manhattan School of Music. They became fast friends because they were in nearly every single class together (coupled with the mutual recognition of each other’s fabulousness!). Soon after, they took their friendship to the next level, when they realized that they loved singing together as well… Over 20 years later, after different career paths, living in various states, and raising children, they have reunited to celebrate their friendship by performing some of the most beloved duets from the worlds of opera and Broadway, in addition to expressing their own personal flares in selected solo pieces. This is a labor of love for both Jennifer and Emily, as performing together affords them the opportunity to sing beautiful music together, while simultaneously allowing them to spend quality time together. They also enjoy letting David Baranowski accompany them.
Jennifer Marshall-Baranowski is a multi-faceted soprano with a
varied musical career. Her experience has encompassed the worlds of opera, sacred music and even pop. Opera highlights include Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Delaware Valley Opera and the Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte with Connecticut Lyric Opera. As a concert artist, she has been the soprano soloist in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Handel’s Messiah, Rutter Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Fauré’s Requiem and Poulenc’s Gloria. Jennifer has appeared twice on WNYC’s Soundcheck and was mentioned in a stellar New York Times review for her work with Irish composer and pop singer, Julie Feeney. Originally from Huntington, NY, Ms. Marshall received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at Purchase College and Manhattan School of Music respectively and holds a second Bachelor’s in Italian from Stony Brook University. Her
day job is as a high school Italian teacher, where she gets to share her love of Italian language and culture daily with young people. She has even been known to sometimes sing to her students.
Emily Landa Levin, mezzo-soprano from LaGrange, Georgia, has performed widely throughout the tri-state area, showcasing her talent in numerous concerts and recitals. She has appeared as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah and Duruflé’s Requiem and portrayed key opera roles, including Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, and Hermia in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Emily has also been the alto soloist in performances of Mozart’s Coronation Mass in C Major, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Bach’s Magnificat, and Copland’s Emily Dickinson Songs. Her summer festival experience includes appearances at the Chautauqua Institution, The Opera Theater of Lucca, Opera North and Tanglewood. Emily earned her Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music. She currently resides in Forest Hills, Queens, with her husband and two sons.
