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Osceola Davis

Osceola Davis image

Artist • Recording Artist


Artist • Recording Artist

A native of New Jersey, Osceola Davis began her career as an elementary school teacher, which she truly enjoyed. This allowed her the opportunity to mentor handicapped as well as musically gifted children. From there she was invited to New York to participate in the opera studio at the Metropolitan Opera for promising artists. The studio presented their programs in the public schools to introduce young audiences to new repertoire. These experiences led to performances on Broadway and in venues throughout Europe. When she returned to the U.S., this time it was to sing on the Metropolitan Opera stage. This began her career as a major international attraction.

Earlier recordings of Osceola include a joint project with Artistic Director of the Savonlinna Festival and the Metropolitan Opera’s Finnish baritone, Jorma Hynninen. She also recorded for The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, MA where she was, for a number of years, soloist as well.

Audience and Press Reviews

  • "Words cannot express the feeling your CD brought me. It's just wonderful."

    — Steve Butler, Bronx, New York

  • "Pulsating Zerbinetta"

    — As Zerbinetta in "Ariadne auf Naxos," Finnish National Opera

  • "The real savior and good spirit of the Ariadne performance is Osceola Davis' Zerbinetta, this nightingale-like virtuoso. Her characterization is quite perfect, a seductive frolicker who changes from moment to moment with mercurial fickleness, is always as unpredictable and as captivating. Osceola Davis' appearance combines most delicate gracefulness and great strength. Zerbinetta's movements and gestures could hardly be more enticing and pulsating. Her expressions portray childlike bewilderment, tittering coquetry aw well as shrewdness. One of Strauss' magic tricks is the way in which he transforms the cabaret-like melodies of Zerbinetta and her companions into a refined coloratura splendor. Osceola Davis' nightingale-like voice sounds at the same time like the purring of a cat."

    — Hannu-Tlari Lampila, Helsingin Sanomat

  • In recital with Jorma Hynninen: St. Peter's Church at Citicorp, New York ~ "Osceola Davis isn't as familiar a singer as Battle, but on the basis of Sunday's concert she should be. Her winsome personality was instantaneously appealing, her tone glowed like freshly fallen snow, and her direct, heartfelt interpretive manner was absolutely perfect for this beloved yet often so artistically elusive repertory... That selection and Davis' ecstatic rendition of 'He's Got the Whole World in His Hands' (capped by a stunning high E Flat) got the biggest ovations of the afternoon, but the entire program was a delightful, frequently very moving experience."

    — Bill Zakariasen, The Daily News

  • In Recital: Carnegie Recital Hall Debut ~ "Osceola Davis' unusual recital a few hours later in the same hall was devoted entirely to the repertory for high coloratura soprano. Her calling card, Reinhold Gliere's concerto for wordless vocalization, offered a quick resume of her qualifications in florid music, to wit: staccati quite firm and accurate; extreme high notes very good indeed -- clear, vibrant and full right up to the high F region... there is definitely work to be had for a voice of this size and altitude..."

    — Will Crutchfield, The New York Times

  • "On the following Sunday afternoon at Carnegie Hall, Soprano Osceola Davis (Metropolitan Opera) offered three of Richard Strauss' 'Brentano' lieder and Debussy's 'Quatre Chansons de jeunesse' as centerpieces of her program... Four finely-crafted songs by Betty Jackson King(3) and Margaret Garwood (1) were given superb readings. Miss Davis showed her great skill as a singing-actress in excerpt from Bellini's 'La Sonnambula' and Thomas' 'Hamlet.' The shifting moods of Ophelia in the latter were captured to perfection."

    — Raoul Abdul, New York Amsterdam News

  • In Concert: Opera Gala With Patrice Munsel Hamden, Connecticut ~ "Many of the evening's highlights belonged to coloratura soprano Osceola Davis, who displayed effortless control and consummate artistry in handling the wandering passages and high notes in works by Meyerbeer and Rossini. Hearing her, one could better understand why her performances of Mozart's fiendishly difficult role, the Queen of the Night, are so well known."

    — John Mangan, The New Haven Register

  • In Concert: Opera Gala, Boston, Massachusetts ~ "But there was delightful singing from Osceola Davis, silvery in Zerbinetta's aria from 'Ariadne auf Naxos,'"

    — Richard Dyer, The Boston Sunday Globe

  • In Recital with George Shirley: Alice Tully Hall, New York ~ "In a joint recital with the tenor George Shirley at Alice Tully Hall yesterday afternoon, Osceola Davis confirmed the impression made at her recital debut a few seasons back. The young Americam soprano, who has been active with the Finnish National Opera, has a light coloratura voice of pleasing quality, fresh right up to the high F's of Mozart's 'Mia speranza adorata.' She did some nice phrasing in her Mozart selections, and sang her spirituals -- especially 'Ain't Got Time to Die' -- in a vocal style closer to current popular music than that usually encountered."

    — Will Crutchfield, The New York Times

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