Joyce DiDonato, Mezzo-soprano

Joyce DiDonato is one of the great communicators of our era – able to bridge genres and generations with her profound humanity, her musical vision, and her extraordinary voice. In her new program, “SONGPLAY,” she traces the musical thread from the Italian Baroque to the American Songbook, including art songs to sambas to jazz ballads. PUC audiences got a taste of this back in 2015 when she sang the Italian art song standard “Caro mio ben” with a jazz piano accompaniment as an encore to a jaw-dropping recital debut. She and her ensemble play with the transitions and connections between styles and centuries, weaving a musical tapestry connected by a collective sense of joy and experimentation. Songplay was recently released on Warner Classics and is accessible on Spotify, or click the video on the right for a preview.