Album Notes

With her unique, unusually expressive voice, Melanie Mitrano is becoming a strong force in today’s new music scene. “Remarkable for purity of tone and directness of utterance," she has the distinction of being one of the few classical singer /composers who writes, performs and records her own music. In addition, her collaborations with some of the foremost American composers of the 21st century have yielded countless performances that have garnered praise from critics and audiences alike. Known for her “breathtakingly pretty tone,” chameleon-like versatility and extensive range, Melanie Mitrano has equal prowess with standard classical and cross-over repertoire, which often spans both soprano and mezzo territory. The Boston Globe has hailed her impeccable diction and pure intonation, calling her a “superbly equipped, daring-it-vocaliser...aiming a beautiful voice under beautiful control at some terribly stiff musical demands, scoring bull's eye after bull's eye.” The New York Times has described her performances as “lively, forceful…[and] theatrical.”

Her debut CD, Songs in Transit, features an eclectic selection of songs that are not merely classical, but a hybrid mixture of styles which includes jazz, blues, musical theater, popular music, rock, hip-hop, electronic and world music. All of it is woven into the complex tapestry that makes up “American” music. The disc highlights living American poets and composers, most of whom accompany their own songs at the piano. Among the composers are two Pulitzer Prize winners: David Del Tredici and Paul Moravec. Also featured are renowned composers Lee Hoiby, Tom Cipullo, and Lori Laitman, as well as an original song cycle by the artist herself.