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Sunday, April 12, 2026
Elizabeth Kluegel
soprano
John Sutherland Earle
piano
Women’s Loves and Losses
PROGRAM
Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Seit ich ihn gesehen
Er, der Herrlichste von allen
Ich kann’s nicht fassen, nicht glauben
Du Ring an meinem Finger
Helft mir, ihr Schwestern
Süßer Freund, du blickest
An meinem Herzen, an meiner Brust
Nun has du mir den ersten Schmertz getan
Drei Lieder der Ophelia, Op. 67, Nos 1-3
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Wie erkenn ich mein Treulieb vor andern nun
Guten Morgen, ‘s ist Sankt Valentinstag
Sie trugen ihn auf der Bahre bloß
Try Me, Good King
Libby Larsen (born 1950)
Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII
Katherine of Aragon
Anne Boleyn
Jane Seymour
Anne of Cleves
Katherine Howard
An Einem Lichten Morgen
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
BIOGRAPHY
John Sutherland Earle has performed in many US states and European countries and won top prizes in national and international competitions. He studied music at Oberlin, Stanford, and Vienna with principal teachers Peter Takács, Adolph Baller, and Haggai Niv, and is currently enrolled in the Artist Graduate Certificate program, working with Linda Monson and Eunae Ko Han, at George Mason University, where he also holds the title Distinguished University Professor (earle.gmu.edu/music).
Soprano Elizabeth Kluegel performs frequently as an opera singer, concert soloist, and recitalist. Her voice has been described as a “silvery soprano” and as having a “…brilliant and shimmering tone”. As Monica in The Medium, the Sunday Telegram (Connecticut) stated, “Soprano Elizabeth Kluegel’s performance in The Medium showed her to have the brightest voice of any of the performers.” “She really has a beautiful voice”, wrote Carl Banner of Washington Musica Viva. “You know, the kind of voice that when you hear it right next to you, you want to turn around and say, ‘Marry me!’” Ms. Kluegel was privileged to sing with the National Symphony Orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s opera Pique Dame under the baton of Maestro Mstislav Rostropovich.
Ms. Kluegel takes pleasure in being involved with lesser-known works, contemporary works, and premieres. She premiered Ray Shattenkirk’s song cycle “The Better Angels” with the IBIS Chamber Music Society, set to texts of Walt Whitman. Elizabeth sang the world premiere of In Quiet Resting Places by Daniel Gawthrop with The Master Chorale of Washington at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. This performance was broadcast on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today”. Ms. Kluegel sang Roberto Gerhard’s lesser-known Cancionero de Pedrell for the European Union Spanish Presidency Concert with the chamber music group Musica Aperta. She has performed vocal chamber music concerts of Ned Rorem’s The Last Poems of Wallace Stevens, Earl Kim’s Three Poems in French and Janet Peachey’s Views through a Window. Ms. Kluegel sang the world premiere of Sidney Bailin’s Scénes with Washington Musica Viva. In past seasons, she sang concerts of the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů’s Petrklič and Dvořák duets at the Czech Embassy. Ms. Kluegel created the role of Titania in Barbara Schelstrate’s A Midsummer Night’s Musical at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.
A recent performance of Samuel Barber’s Knoxville, Summer of 1915 with IBIS Chamber Music Society was included in an award-winning documentary of the composer by Paul Moon. In a performance of Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise with the New Dominion Chorale, The Washington Post called her singing “excellent”. Ms. Kluegel enjoys participating in vocal chamber music as well. She has performed a varied repertoire, including Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen with members of the Spokane Symphony. She has appeared as the soprano soloist in Theresienmesse and Vesperae solennes de confessore, and Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Alabama Symphony and at the U.S. Naval Academy. She sang Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the St. Louis Symphony. Ms. Kluegel has worked with conductors Tom Beveridge, David Loebel, Richard Westerfield, J. Reilly Lewis, Dr. Barry Talley, and Robert Lyall.
Ms. Kluegel performed the role of Marie in Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera La Fille du Régiment with Bel Cantanti Opera. The Washington Post called her performance “a standout job” and her interpretation of Marie as “outstanding”. The Washington Times stated “…she showed a remarkably supple coloratura instrument; capable of navigating Donizetti’s numerous high-note challenges without apparent strain”. She premiered the role of Bertha in Carman Moore’s The Last Chance Planet with Dayton Opera. She has also performed with Virginia Opera, The Kennedy Center Orchestra, Opera Grand Rapids, Opera International, and Capitol City Opera, among others. Her Oscar in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera was described as”…a spitfire of a lad with sunny smile and swagger”.
Ms. Kluegel’s voice has been described as perfect for the intimacy of the song recital. She has performed recitals and concerts for the Reinzanaka Recital Series in Tokyo, Japan, the U.S. Department of State, The Monadnock Music Festival, The Cape May Music Festival, the Mendelssohn Glee Club of New York City, The Rock Spring Recital Series, The Waterford (Virginia) Concert Series, and for “Sunday Afternoons Live” at the First Congregational Church of Greenwich, CT. Continuing her focus on recital repertoire, Ms. Kluegel was chosen to participate in the prestigious Steans Institute for Young Singers at the Ravinia Festival, and was asked to return as one of five singers to inaugurate their Program for Vocal Chamber Music.
Further developing her interests in contemporary music, Ms. Kluegel returned to the Czech Embassy with Washington Musica Viva to sing the world premiere of the English translation of “Birds’ Weddings” by Viktor Kalabis. On this same concert Ms. Kluegel sang Op. 32 Moravian duets by Dvorak in Czech with her friend and colleague, mezzo-soprano Karyn Friedman.
Ms. Kluegel has a long collaboration with chamber music ensembles in Washington D.C. She performed Duparc’s “L’invitation au Voyage”, as well as Earl Kim’s “Three Poems in French”, Chausson’s haunting “Chanson Perpetuelle”, and Manuel de Falla’s “Psyché” with the IBIS Chamber Music Ensemble. She has returned to perform with Washington Musica Viva in many concerts, including Robert Schumann’s glorious “Liederkreis”, Op. 39.
Oratorio highlights include Camille Saint-Saens’ ethereal Christmas Oratorio in North Carolina, and J.S. Bach’s masterful Mass in B minor with The City Choir of Washington in Washington, D.C., as well as Messiah at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
She continues to explore her love of American music. She has performed an American Songbook cabaret concert with colleague Lewis Freeman, baritone, and continued sharing her love of the American Songbook in singing orchestrated selections from the American Songbook with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association (WMPA). Ms. Kluegel returned to singing Barber’s Knoxville, Summer of 1915, with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and with Paragon Philharmonic.
During the pandemic shutdown of 2020-2021, Ms. Kluegel performed three live-taped recitals for WMPA, one of which was a Schubertiade with members of the orchestra and John Sutherland Earle at piano, and another, a summertime cabaret with pianist Hai Jin.
She continues her collaboration in art song and vocal chamber music with her colleague, Mr. Earle, with recitals and concerts in the Washington, D.C. vicinity.
Born in England, Ms. Kluegel was raised in Arlington, Virginia. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees of Music from Indiana University. She was a National Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, received the Camilla Williams Award from the National Society of Arts and Letters, and won an award in the MacAllister Competition. She is also a recipient of a Richard F. Gold Career Grant.
2925 Argyle Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22305
703-623-5822
ekluegel @gmail.com
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