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The American mezzo-soprano, Irene Weldon, became interested in music at an early age, studying piano, then later organ and harpsichord. She discovered her voice when she returned to school as an adult to finish her Bachelor of Arts degree. After receiving her MST in Voice from Portland State University in 1998, she joined the music faculty at Warner Pacific College. She also maintains a private studio offering voice and piano lessons.
Irene Weldon is active as a recitalist, oratorio soloist and church musician in the Portland area. She has sung with Trinity Chamber Singers and Eric J. Milnes, Oregon Bach Festival with Helmuth Rilling, Cappella Romana and Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, to name a few. Irene a staff singer for Portland Symphonic Choir with whom she performed in March of this year (2009), the mezzo solos in Mozart’s Requiem. Last Fall (2008) she sang the alto solo in a commissioned work entitled "Remembrance” by composer Judith Zaimont. She is also section leader and alto soloist for the Bach Cantata Choir led by Ralph Nelson. After the most recent concert, one listener wrote, "Irene know(s) how to inspire an audience...I was sitting in the balcony on Sun. and got to experience a full house sending (her) back love and compassion for every note." James Bash of wrote "the numerous recitatives and arias by mezzo-soprano Irene Weldon, ... were outstanding. Weldon’s warm voice excelled especially in “Bereite dich, Zion, mit Zaertlichen Trieben” ... and in “Schliesse, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder”.
Last March (2009) she performed as soloist with Peter Schickele in performances of P.D.Q. Bach’s Oedipus Tex and The Seasonings. A reviewer said "Irene Weldon was outstanding as Madam Peep in "Oedipus Text" and the alto soloist in "The Seasonings."" Other solo engagements include Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria with Portland Symphonic Choir, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with Portland Baroque Orchestra, George Frideric Handel's Israel in Egypt with Trinity Consort, and Ottorino Respighi's Lauda per la Natività del Signore with the Oregon Repertory Singers. |
