Alumna's 'wondrous collaboration' with San Francisco Symphony

Posted Tue, 06/09/2009 - 8:33am by Matt Itelson

Alumna Michelle DeYoung, a Grammy winning mezzo-soprano, recently enjoyed several gigs with the San Francisco Symphony. Performing works by Schubert and Berg, DeYoung (attended ’89-’90) garnered acclaim from Bay Area classical music critics.

In the San Jose Mercury News on May 28, Richard Schenin described DeYoung’s voice as “supple and caramel-voiced, a dramatic force. Her voice curled like smoke through these fever-dream songs about love, isolation, torment, obsession.“

In the May 29 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, Steven Winn wrote: “At times, DeYoung seems to spin out long lines without a break, while the orchestra, sighing and heaving, did the breathing for her. It was a wondrous collaboration.“