Soprano Elissa Edwards, hailed for her “pliant, seductive, free-ranging voice” (Gramophone) and “glistening tone” (Early Music America), is a distinguished interpreter of 17th- and 18th-century vocal chamber music. A specialist in sacred repertoire, she has been featured as a soloist in numerous oratorio and cantata performances in both the US and UK.

Performance highlights include appearances with the Washington National Cathedral, Washington Bach Consort, Bach in Baltimore, Harmonia Stellarum, the Barbara Strozzi Symposium at Princeton University, Gotham Early Music Series, Amherst Early Music Festival, Yorkshire Baroque Soloists, and The National Centre for Early Music (UK). Ms. Edwards serves as artist-in-residence at the Hammond-Harwood House Museum and has taught on the voice faculties of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

She has received numerous awards and grants for her contributions to the field, including the Maryland State Individual Artist Award, support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and funding from the Winterthur Museum & Library for her scholarly music presentations. Ms. Edwards trained at the Royal College of Music in London and holds performance degrees from Boston University (BM) and the University of York, UK (MA).

Her critically acclaimed album Vago Desio, featuring cantatas and arias from Barbara Strozzi’s Opus 8 (Acis APL90277), is available online. (www.elissaedwards.com)