Thaïs St. Julien (June 11, 1945 – January 3, 2019) was a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

from

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. She studied under Charles Paddock,

Virginia MacWatters Virginia MacWatters (June 19, 1912 – November 5, 2005) was an American coloratura soprano and university professor. Early life MacWatters was born in Philadelphia on June 19, 1912 to Frederick K. and Idoleein ( Hallowell) MacWatters. She ...

and Norma Newton, and was Co-Director (with Milton G. Scheuermann, Jr) of the

New Orleans Musica da Camera The New Orleans Musica da Camera was founded in 1966, by Milton G. Scheuermann, Jr, and was the oldest surviving Early Music organization in the United States. They performed music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, using historically infor ...

, which specialises in music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and has toured throughout the Gulf South. She was also Foundress of Vox Feminæ, the female choral extension of the MdC. St. Julien also appeared with

The New Opera Theatre The New Opera Theatre was a New Orleans-based opera company founded in 1986, with conductor Louise LaBruyère as Music Director and stage director Brian Morgan serving as Artistic Director. It specialized in experimental productions of both ancient ...

(as Dido in ''Dido and Æneas'', her New York debut at

Symphony Space Symphony Space, founded by Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller, is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theatre (also called Pe ...

, 1988), Pro Arte Chorale (Amor in a Concert Version of ''Orfeo ed Euridice'', opposite Derek Lee Ragin),

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is an American orchestra based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only full-time, professional orchestra in the Gulf South. The orchestra performs at the Orpheum Theater. The Louisiana Philharmonic Or ...

(''Messiah''), Great Neck Choral Society, International Dvořák Festival, Lyric Opera of Dallas, New Orleans Opera Association, Southwest Chamber Orchestra, Jefferson Performing Arts Society (Bach's ''Magnificat''), etc. In 1997, the soprano was Dircé in the

Opera Quotannis Opera Quotannis (OQ) was a New York-based opera company which was founded in 1990, with conductor Bart Folse as music director and stage director Brian Morgan (formerly of The New Opera Theatre) serving as artistic director. It specialized in experi ...

''Médée'', opposite

Phyllis Treigle Phyllis Treigle (born May 6, 1960) is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and is a noted American soprano, and the daughter of the bass-baritone Norman Treigle. She graduated from Loyola University of the South's College of Music and made her ...

and D'Anna Fortunato, at Alice Tully Hall,

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

. This was the uncut, original ''opéra-comique'' version of the Cherubini masterpiece, and St. Julien was possibly the only singer in the twentieth century to sing the florid, difficult role complete and unadulterated. Together with Professor Scheuermann, St. Julien co-hosted the influential Early Music radio show ''Continuum.'' The two have hosted the weekly program since 1976, producing over 2,000 programs. At forty-two years, Continuum is the longest-running Early Music radio program in America, if not the world. The program has been a winner of the Early Music America/Millennium of Music National Radio Competition, and received the KXMS Fine Arts Radio International Award. She was the recipient of the 2007 Louisiana Artist Fellowship in Music. In April 2017, St. Julien was diagnosed with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

, the effects from which she died on January 3, 2019, at the age of 73.

Discography

* Cherubini: ''Médée'' (P.Treigle, Fortunato; Folse, 1997) Newport Classic Musica da Camera Discography * "Satires, Desires & Excesses" (1992) Centaur * "Natus est" (1994) Centaur * "The Cross of Red" (1996) Centaur * "Maiden, Mother, Muse" (1998) Centaur * "Les motés d'Arras" (Fithian; 2000) Centaur * "Ah, Sweet Lady" (1974–2009) Belle Alliance

References

* ''Stagebill'', March 1997. * Liner Notes, ''Médée'', Newport Classic, 1997.

External links

Thais St Julien in Act I of ''Médée'' (1997)
{{DEFAULTSORT:St Julien, Thais 1945 births 2019 deaths American operatic sopranos Musicians from New Orleans Singers from Louisiana 20th-century American women opera singers 21st-century American women opera singers