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MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2021
FESTIVALFOCUS | YOUR WEEKLY CLASSICAL MUSIC GUIDE
Supplement to The Aspen Times
Key’mon Murrah: A Voice Rising to Any Challenge PIPER STARNES
Festival Focus Writer
With a voice soaring high above the rest, singer Key’mon Murrah rises to any challenge. Murrah is one of this season’s fifteen Fleming Fellowship Artists—and the only sopranist— participating in the 2021 Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS (AOTVA) Program. Hand-selected by AOTVA co-artistic directors Renée Fleming and Patrick Summers, Murrah is thrilled to learn alongside rising opera talents and seasoned professionals and perform in Handel’s Rodelinda, regina de’ Longobardi on August 21. Since childhood, Murrah has always found joy in singing, especially with his twin brother. After a teacher encouraged them to pursue music in college, the brothers went on to attend the University of Kentucky on performance scholarships, despite having never sung opera before. Interestingly, Murrah enrolled as a tenor, graduated as a countertenor, but is actually a sopranist (or Sopranist Key’mon Murrah is King Bertarido in the AOTVA production of male soprano). Fleming says, “People Handel’s Rodelinda, August 21. are sometimes surprised to hear men sing in the falsetto range, so much higher than other male voice types, but we actually celebrate this range for men in pop music today—think of
Michael Jackson, Andy Gibb, Prince, and Smokey Robinson.” is so extensive, lending more virtuosity to [Baroque opera] Summers adds, “[Key’mon’s] range easily encompasses more repertoire than one typically hears. He has an extraordinary than three octaves. His depth and beauty of tone is memo- instrument—warm, full, and even throughout—and he exudes a rable, and though he is still a young singer, he has profound calm self-possession on stage. He will continue to grow artisinterpretive gifts and a rare ability to go right to the heart.” tically, and I believe he has an important career ahead of him.” Summers points out that, although Murrah explains that the AMFS envimost sopranist repertoire has remained ronment is something you can’t find He has an extraordinary untouched since the eighteenth century, anywhere else, pointing out, it’s “per“Impresarios and conductors of imaginaformance-driven, but you get that full instrument . . . and tion and knowledge will have no problem balance of education, support, and he exudes a calm selffinding a huge array of music for Key’mon professional accountability.” In master to sing and for twenty-first-century audiclasses, he has been able to work with possession on stage. . . . I ences to discover.” Fleming and Summers; guest artists believe he has an important Larry Brownlee, Julia Bullock, and Golda When the pandemic struck, Murrah took the initiative to research and create Schultz; as well as Kenneth Merrill, head career ahead of him. his own opportunities, deciding that if he acting coach and director of Handel’s wasn’t working, he would network and Rodelinda. Renée Fleming co-artistic director, AOTVA build his social media presence, where Taking place Saturday, August 21, he’s already accumulated nearly 200,000 this Handel opera is where we’ll see views on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Murrah’s hard work and preparation pay off. Performing as Murrah’s manager Jeffrey Larson, founder and president of Bertarido, King of Lombardy, Murrah is eager to delve into L2 Artists, recalls his first impression: “Key’mon drew my inter- Handel’s music and story. As Rodelinda is one of the final est in about ten seconds. I was blown away by the ease with events of the season, Murrah intends to make the most of which he performed.” With a rare gut feeling, Larson knew the Festival’s last three weeks before pursuing his graduate immediately that he needed to work with Murrah. Making diploma at Juilliard this fall. connections with industry professionals and participating in Reflecting on learning and growing with his fellow opera competitions, Murrah says, “really helped me to be able to be students, Murrah says gratefully, “We’ve become a big here today.” group of friends, supporting each other in everything. We’ve Fleming says, “Hearing Key’mon live for the first time at his become like a tight-knit family.” This, of course, is a family and audition in Aspen was revelatory, especially because his range experience Murrah will surely cherish.
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