Audio selections

Biography

Recently Ms. De Feis has moved into the full lyric repertoire with such roles as Violetta in Traviata, Mimì in Bohème and Micaela in Carmen. Ms De Feis has sung throughout Europe as a concert soloist. Her extensive repertoire includes works from Bach, Mahler, Mozart and Strauß as well as the contemporary composers Rudolf Kelterborn, Rainer Kunad and Michael Denhoff. Her performances involve engagements with international orchestras such as the Halle Orchestra of Manches-ter, Radio Orchestra of Madrid, Orchestre National de Belgique and Dutch National Ballet Orchestra in Amsterdam and appearances as a guest soloist in Spain , the Netherlands , Belgium , Ireland , France , England , Scotland , Singapore and Taiwan . She has sung under the direction of distinguished conductors such as Adrian Leaper, Jiri Kout, Stefan Soltesz, Miguel A. Gomez Martinez, Sergiu Commissiona, Adam Fischer and Pinchas Steinberg.

Ms De Feis' debut recording was in 1996 with the Orquesta Filarmònica de Gran Canaria in Henryk Gòrecki's 3rd Symphony on the Arte Nova label. She sang performances of the work in Gran Canaria , Madrid , Amsterdam and La Coruna . Two more CDs were added to her discography with Verdi's Rigoletto and Ms. De Feis as Gilda and her solo recording of Schubert's Lieder. In January 2001, the CD recording of Rossini's Messa di Gloria with Wilhelm Keitel conducting the European Festival Orchestra was released featuring Doreen De Feis as a soloist. Her upcoming CD on the Arte Nova label will be a solo recording with orchestral accompaniment.

Ms De Feis studied vocal performance at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School in New York . She was awarded First Prize by the Pro Musicis Foundation and gave an international lieder tour with the Foundation in San Francisco , Boston , Los Angeles , New York , Rome (Villa Medici) and Paris (Opèra Comique). She was a Finalist at the Metropolitan Opera Regional Competition in New York . As a young principal soloist in the premiere of Oliver Knussen's 2 nd Symphony, Doreen De Feis received widespread critical acclaim for her remarkable
performance and talent for contemporary music.

This year Ms De Feis' concert schedule includes engagements with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie for Verdi's Requiem and guest performances as a soloist with the Landessinfonie Orchester Thüringen-Gotha and the Kammerorchester Wernigrode. In Memmingen she is singing a series of Lieder evenings. In 2002 she will be returning to Spain to sing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Orquesta Filarmònica de Gran Canaria.

European/Venues

 American/Venues

CDs/Arte Nova

Operatic repertoire

Opera reviews

Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld
"The topping on this colorful cake was Doreen De Feis' Eurydice. The former coloratura specialist from the Münster Theatre continues to be in excellent form, mastering the high notes and the piano legato arches beautifully. She was to thank for letting a soft sadness about the impossibilities of love shine in the midst of Offenbach 's hullabaloo." - Münstersche Zeitung, July 2000 

Adina in L'elisir d'amore
"Very impressive indeed the way Doreen De Feis in the role of Adina performed the duet. The American principal guest was magnificent - presenting flawless coloratura and a voice that is defined smoothly in all registers." - Hannoversche Allg. zeitung, May 1998.

"Doreen Maria De Feis was a charming Adina who cap-tured the Donizetti style best of all with a light, sparkling soprano voice and keen coloratura." 
- Orpheus, Nov. 1998 "A Donizetti-specialist, American guest Doreen Maria De Feis, was on stage as Adina portraying the change of heart of the mischievous farmer's wife in all its vocal and dramatic nuances." - Braunschweiger Zeitung, May 1998 

Norina in Don Pasquale
"Doreen De Feis created a self-confident and sensual woman. Her bright and, especially in the upper register, brilliant soprano made for a highlight in this premiere." - Flensburger Bote, November 1997 "Doreen De Feis fashioned a lively, mentally sharp woman of our times out of the dusty stage character Norina. Her radiant soprano voice was angelically charming, arousing in a lucid coloratura and became a bright, shining crystal when she was to be the Megäre. She was exciting in the fine points and gained character in the overall context." - Flensborgavis, November 1997 

Rosina in Barbier von Sevilla
"Doreen De Feis made readily apparent to all the musical purists who swear by the original mezzo-soprano version that the later second version for soprano voice can be even more seductive and flirtatious. The tingling of De Feis higher notes rendered a sense of arousal and every note an erotic pinprick." - Münstersche Zeitung 

Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro
"Doreen De Feis, a flirtatious, charming, graceful Susanna with a pleasantly colored lyric soprano voice and a sense of style." - Opernwelt "Doreen De Feis as Susanne attracted a great deal of audience affection with her acting and singing. Her performance was fine tuned to that of Figaro's, creating a lovely unity, and her voice, especially in the arioso sections, was defined by warmth and expression." - Rheinpfalz  

Pamina in Die Zauberflöte
"Particularly Doreen De Feis as a Pamina whose G-minor aria glowed with an aristocratic soul and intonation of purity." - Wormser Zeitung 

Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier
"The soprano singing the role of Sophie offered an exciting vocal performance. Doreen De Feis presented, aside from an unusually cultivated voice, an impressive dramatic presentation." - Belcanto

Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi
"De Feis'Oh mio babbino caro melted right on tip of the tongue!" - Rheinpfalz 

Marzelline in Fidelio
"Doreen De Feis interpretation of Marzelline with her lovely, clear voice was marvelous." - Luxemburger Wort 

Anna in The Merry Wives of Windsor
"The daughter Anna Reich is characterized in a gracious, feminine manner and beautiful lyric tones. Her bell-clear soprano voice enchanted the audience with its lightness and symmetrical brilliance." - Westfälische Nachrichten 

Adele in Die Fledermaus
"I was very convinced by Doreen De Feis' delightfully, beautifully sung Lieder and coloratura as the flirtatious, cunningly clever maid Adele." - Saarbrücker Zeitung 

Meroe in Die großmütige Tomyris
"In contrast, Doreen De Feis' sets in with a darker voice that is befitting to the affected, flaming temperament of Meroe . What makes her role interpretation remarkable is that the very standardized expressions and vocabu-lary stemming from Keiser's pen are elevated to a high level of interpretation and emotional tension." - Oper und Konzert 

Gretl in Die Zaubergeige
"The theatre profited enormously with the casting of Doreen De Feis, a lovable, saucer-eyed companion of Kasper, highly musical, with a slender, smooth top. Analogous to the ease with which she naturally developed the dramatic aspects of the role was the metamorphosis from a soubrette-like demeanor to a wonderfully full, expressive and lyrical interpretation vocally." - Opernwelt 

Nanetta in Falstaff
"Doreen De Feis' Nanetta was pure listening enjoyment. Particularly the elf queen's glorious ariosa in the final act. The delicate, almost childlike singer poured out beautiful tones and poetry with her soprano voice. Her top notes whispering in pianissimo were impeccable." - Orpheus

Concert repertoire

Concert reviews

Concert with the Thüringer Philharmonic
"The American of Italian decent, Doreen Maria De Feis, is known as a highly cultivated, intelligent singer. She confirmed this in all regards. She received her vocal training in prestigious American institutions and developed her art in musical theater by interpreting leading female operatic characters (Mozart, Donizetti, Richard Strauss). She combines the warmth of her even and balanced soprano voice with musical interpretations that are imminently accessible to the audience. Thus the songs of Bernstein and Gershwin became a special experience. Her interpretations allow the listener to
partake in the emotions and fateful occurrences of these women characters. She made the human voice into the most
beautiful of instruments." - Thüringer Allgemeine, 19 May 2001
"The well-known songs "Summertime" and "My man's gone now", sung in close contact with the audience by Doreen Maria De Feis, rounded off the program beautifully. De Feis revealed herself not only to be a well-trained singer but also a coloratura soprano of the classical style." - Thüringer Landeszeitung, 19 May 2001

Rossini's Messa di Gloria in Stuttgart
"Doreen Maria De Feis (and the other soloists) took on the considerable vocal challenge of this work with utter success. Individually, as well as in the ensemble, they proved themselves to have secure high notes and coloratura, to be stylistically sound and expressive. The soprano voice, light and bright in all registers, deserves special mention. Doreen Maria De Feis melds her sparkling coloratura ideally with the melodic fundaments of the piece."
- Stuttgarter Zeitung, September 2000

Concert with the Orquestra Joven de Andalucia , Spain
"Después fue Mahler, en los Rückert Lieder, donde la bonita voz de la soprano Doreen De Feis encontró noble apoyatura en la masa orquestral. Si acaso algún desequilibrio dinámico, solventado con el buen gusto y con la entrega de todos los intervinientes." - April 1999

Halle Orchestra-Bridgewater Hall
"The concert was also honoured to have the beautiful voice of American soprano Doreen De Feis who sang five times, including what in my opinion was the most beautiful astonishing song of the evening, Franz Lehar's Vilja and his aria "On my Lips Every Kiss is Like Wine". It is a great pity the Hall wasn't supplemented with a choir, for the effects would have been astonishing." - Bolton Evening News, January 1998

Concert with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
"The guest soloist, American soprano Doreen De Feis, was an exciting focus whenever she appeared. Here was an artist who was dramatically committed, singing with a generous heart and with no mean voice. Many will remember the fresh-ness and vibrancy of Doreen De Feis in Lehar's Vilja from the Merry Widow and her glorious coloratura in "Ich bin verliebt" from Schön ist die Welt." - Dundee Courier, January 1997

Classical and operetta program with soprano Doreen De Feis
"Doreen De Feis' amazing versatility is displayed in the intermixture of varying pieces such as the "Alleluia" from Mozart's Motet "Exsultate Jubiliate" and Hugo Wolf's "Elfenlied". In the "Alleluia" she sang grand (even in the lower register in piano) radiant tones, add on to this her coloratura whose seductive cooing makes the Catholic church's objections to Mozart's sacred music palpable. And then the artist created a fairytale-like theatrical scene in which she demonstrated - using different voices and clever acting - how the curious little elf crawls out of his snail-shell." - Münstersche Zeitung, November 1997

Soprano lends the New Year's Concert glamour!
"Brilliance and glamour was lent this diverse program by the presence of one very attractive guest: Doreen De Feis, the American soprano, who has a clear, radiant soprano voice that she knows how to use to effectively and impressively. Her technique is outstanding, her diction of German, French and Italian perfect. In movements, gestures and facial expres-sions she displayed her theatrical temperament. It must be a real pleasure to experience this charming, dainty woman with the black curly hair in full action on the stage. The black and red evening dress suits her by the way very well. Doreen De Feis sang Blonde's cheerful aria, a very vivacious girl from Cadix and an emotional Lauretta. She was a flirtatious Adele, a sentimental Hanna in the Vilja song. Strauss' "Frühlingsstimme" waltz however lent a truly glamorous touch to the evening. To the great pleasure of the audience, she repeated the final part of the song." - Leeuwarder Courant

Baroque Concert with works by Strozzi, Scarlatti, Cesti, Bach and Händel
"Doreen De Feis demonstrated the richness of the baroque art of embellishment and the highest technical capability de-manded of a singer of baroque music. Her rendition of the affected, sensitive soul was transparent to the audience...." - Westfälische Nachrichten

Liederabend with the versatile soprano Doreen De Feis
"Doreen De Feis, a soloist at Münster's opera house, presented a program of varying piano-song literature revealing how versatile and adept a stage singer must be in order to sing Lieder and how such an evening can come alive. "Addio Corindo" - she approached the melancholy pieces so gently, filling escalations with a radiant force. Here and in Alban Berg's "Nachtigall" one senses the opera singer's stiving not only to sing every musical thought in every phrase but also to present them believably. Mahler's "Liebst du um Schoenheit" that she filled in the high register with the finest of nu-ances came across so intimately. The journey to the French composers Debussy and Duparc captivated the audience in their pointed interpretation with the unusually fragile piano moments that evolved slowly into an illuminous intensity. She sang Richard Strauss' "Nacht" secretively and with the most tender piano notes full of tingling tension, while Gounod's "Je veux vivre" from Romeo and Julia, garnished with poignant, coquette high notes, was overflowing with waltzing bliss. Sprightly, full of temperament and yet elegant Delibe's "Girl from Cadix" tells of her flirting with the bull. After this
concert evening, we can rightly look forward to the upcoming productions with this adaptable and expressive singer." - Münstersche Zeitung

Carmina Burana (Orff)
"Especially impressive was the presentation of the soprano Doreen De Feis who mastered her part with sovereignty and, with her vocal eloquence (Ave formosissima), left a convincing impression." - Rheinpfalz

Gesänge zur Nacht (Kelterborn)
"...the performance of the soprano soloist Doreen De Feis was exciting. The American articulates very clearly, her voice is round and defeisies well; she was convincing with her engagement and sensitivities to the interpretation of the part." - Westfälische Nachrichten

C minor Mass (Mozart)
"And when this poetic and lieder-like vocal music is sung by such a talented singer as Doreen De Feis - she was a real gift for the audience.." -Osnabrücker Zeitung

Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn (Bach)
"Whereas Doreen De Feis sang her high-lying soprano arias with very admirable lucidity." - Saarbrücker Zeitung

Oliver Knussens Symphony No. 2
Concert at the Juilliard Theater in New York City "The music is in some respects, party-line, but it reveals a real talent. Knussen may be a comer. His soprano was Doreen De Feis, an intelligent singer with a voice of unusual range. She turned in a remarkable performance." - The New York Times

Education/Awards

Performance Photos