Recognized internationally for
her concert work, American singer and composer Dana Hanchard's remarkable
musical path continues to be extraordinary in its richness and diversity.
Her critically acclaimed debut recording of the new song cycle, Once
Canciones de Diego Luzuriaga was cited by Opera News as
"an uncommonly beautiful and touching album…Hanchard's performances
are exquisite." Gramophone magazine noted, "…her
voice and dramatic sense meld perfectly…a beautiful, haunting
disc."
As a songwriter, Dana's compositions have been performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Joe's Pub at the Public Theatre, Café Sabarsky at the Neue Galerie, BAMcafe at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, all in New York; at ClassicFest in Pensacola and the Arts
Exchange in Fort Lauderdale, both in Florida; at Body and Soul and
Satin Doll in Tokyo, G Clef in Yokohama, the Stellar Theatre in
Kawaguchi ko, the Moji Harbor Jazz Festival on Kyushu Island; and
at other venues in the U.S. and Japan.
Past
concert seasons include Mahler with the Memphis Symphony and the
Smithsonian Chamber Players, Dvorak at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie
Hall with the New York Festival of Song, and Debussy at the Bard
Music Festival, with recitals at the University of Maryland and
University of Michigan. She has appeared as a featured performer
in 'Wall-to-Wall' Joni Mitchell at Symphony Space with the Mingus
Big Band, and at Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center with the
Sultans of Swing. Dana has collborated with trumpeter,
Tomonao Hara, and singer, Ryoko Moriyama; saxophonist, Seiichi Nakamura;
and traditional Japanese folk artist, Takio Ito.
Devoted fans of classical music and baroque opera know Dana for
her recordings and performances with Nicholas McGegan, John Eliot
Gardiner, Mark Morris, Michael Tilson Thomas, Reinhard Göebel,
Christopher Hogwood, Meredith Monk, Jane Glover, and Jonathan Miller.
She has played leading roles at the Royal Danish Opera, Houston
Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, the Edinburgh Festival of Scotland,
the Göttingen Händel Festival in Germany, and the Brooklyn
Academy of Music. She has appeared with orchestral and chamber music
ensembles around the world to include the New World Symphony, Houston
Symphony, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Israel Camerata, American String
Quartet, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, English Baroque Soloists,
and Musica Antiqua Köln. She has been featured at many music
festivals including Aspen, Tanglewood, Banff in Canada, Bang on
a Can in New York City, and the Gulbenkian Festival in Lisbon.
Recent studio work includes the release of Dana Hanchard,
a recording of three of her original compositions on her label,
Fertile Ground Music; vocals on Aaron Scott's release, Echoes
on the Run on Dai Chi Records; and vocal director for Ryoko
Moriyama's recording The Jazz Singer on the Dreamusic label. The first full length album of her compositions, "Fool Tale Spinning" will be available in this fall from Fertile Ground Music.
In addition to Fertile Ground Music, she can be heard on the Deutsche
Grammophon/Archiv, ECM, Erato, Harmonia Mundi, and Lyrichord labels.
Born in Manhattan, Ms. Hanchard is a graduate of Manhattan School
of Music, and the Juilliard School of Music.
