Young American mezzo-soprano Cynthia Cook, is currently a member of Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artist Studio for the 2012-2013 season. Her Zweite Dame in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte was described as “a highlight throughout the opera, [The Three Ladies] sang with plush tones and a nice, malevolent edge to their voices.” Ms. Cook also performed Teresa in La sonnambula by Bellini with FGO under the direction of Renata Scotto. “The warm mezzo of Cynthia Cook gave Teresa an unusually satisfying presence making the role seem bigger than it is.” Ms. Cook will sing Charlotte in Werther with Vashon Opera in the Spring of 2014, where she sang Olga in Eugene Onegin in 2012.
Ms. Cook is a recent graduate from the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts, where she performed a wide repertory of roles, including Adalgisa (Norma), Meg Page (Falstaff), Dor- abella (Cosi fan tutte), Smeton in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena as well as Clairon in Capriccio and Adelaide in Arabella. In the Spring of 2011, she added the role of Zerlina, directed by Tito Capobianco to her repertoire.
In the summer of 2012, she joined The Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Sing- ers covering Particia Bardon as Calbo in Rossini’s Maometto II. She also covered Victoria Livengood as Adelaide in Strauss’ Arabella. Ms. Cook performed the famous Act II trio from Don Carlos on the mainstage. Her Eboli was met with praise: “There were some singers who stood out even among this remarkable collection of talent, most notably a mezzo-soprano
who sang a stunning ‘Princess Eboli’ in the ‘Garden Scene’ trio from Verdi’s Don Carlo. Her name is Cynthia Cook, and I expect we will be hearing a lot more about her soon.”
Ms. Cook competed in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regionals in Boston, MA in January 2012. She won an Encouragement Award with The Gerda Lissner Competi- tion, as well as (and?) The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation. In the Spring of 2011, she
was a semi-finalist for the Loren L. Zachary Competition, as well as the Belvedere Competi- tion in Vienna, Austria where her voice has been described as a “warm and confident sound” with a “throbbing vibrato that is impressive and beautiful”.
Cynthia Cook, a native of Whitehouse Station, NJ, graduated Magna cum laude with a BM in Vocal Performance at The University of Hartford.
