Marietta Simpson, Mezzo-soprano

Biography

Marietta Simpson has sung with all the major orchestras in the U.S. and under many of the
world’s great conductors. Recent highlights were her debuts with the Vienna Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle and the Chicago
Symphony under Daniel Barenboim. She also performed under Maestro Rattle with the Berlin Philharmonic. She made her debut at Lyric
Opera of Chicago singing the role of Addie in Marc Blitzstein’s opera Regina to great critical praise.

Some forthcoming performances are with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra in the world premiere of The
Thread by J. Mark Scearce to text by Toni Morrison; with the Colorado Symphony,
Philadelphia Orchestra, Flint Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Huntsville Symphony and with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic on New Year’s Eve.

Ms. Simpson had the honor of singing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the final performances by Wolfgang Sawallisch as music director of the
Philadelphia Orchestra and Mahler’s Symphony #3 in the final performances by Marin Alsop as music director of the Colorado
Symphony. Her Carnegie Hall debut was in 1998 as soloist in Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody under the late Robert Shaw, and her New York Philharmonic debut
occurred in 1991 under Kurt Masur in Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

In 1992 she sang in Carnegie Hall’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Handel’s Messiah
and debuted at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in Trevor Nunn’s production of Porgy and Bess which was then filmed for British television.