Critically acclaimed by virtually every major outlet covering classical music, American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton is increasingly recognized for how she uses her powerful instrument offstage – lifting up women, queer people, and other marginalized communities. Her lively social media presence on Instagram and Twitter serves as a hub for conversations about body positivity, diet culture, social justice issues, and LGBTQ+ rights. She is proud to volunteer with Turn The Spotlight, an organization working to identify, nurture, and empower leaders among women and people of color – and in turn, to illuminate the path to a more equitable future in...
Jamie Barton
Mezzo-Soprano
ManagersMichael Benchetrit
Territory
Worldwide
Press Resources
“A remarkable artist, with great reservoirs of vocal power and agility wedded to an exquisite communicative gift.”
San Francisco Chronicle
“A leader of a new generation of opera stars… Rich and full of color, pouring from her with ease, [her voice] evokes not the great artists of our day, or even those of a generation or two past, but rather the opulent floods of sound unleashed by the likes of Kirsten Flagstad and Helen Traubel in the 1930s and ’40s.”
The New York Times
“She is a fresh wonder of the opera world, possessing a voice of preternatural beauty and power. She has a remarkable ability to keep the vocal line afloat amid pauses for breath; she'd swell on a note, take a breath, and then resume at even greater volume, tricking the ear into thinking that the phrase had never been broken. To see these young artists reveling together in their voices makes you believe unswervingly in the future of the art.”
The Rest is Noise
“The star of the evening was the mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, who sang five Sibelius songs with focus and passion. She rode the arching phrases of the beloved “Black Roses” and cooled her big, exciting voice for the dramatic switch from coy humor to stark disappointment in “A Girl Came Home From Meeting Her Sweetheart.” It will be a pleasure to watch as Ms. Barton’s voice continues to settle and mature."
Marilyn Horne Foundation "Song Continues" Concert, Zankel Hall
The New York Times
“Alongside Radvanovsky and keeping pace with her at every turn was the young American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, making a magnificent company debut as Norma's friend and unwitting romantic rival Adalgisa. Barton's recent appearances at the Metropolitan Opera in this role garnered breathless praise from all quarters, and her last-minute inclusion in the cast offered a welcome opportunity to experience her artistry in person.
She didn't disappoint. Barton's gifts were evident at once - in particular a gleaming vocal tone that is evenly produced throughout a large range, and the ability to shape a vocal line with both precision and emotional urgency. And her depiction of the naive but morally upright Adalgisa was full of psychological nuance.”
Norma, San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Chronicle
“Marking the 30th anniversary of its founding, this year's Cardiff Singer of the World gave us one of its most exceptional and startling finals. The winner was 31-year-old American mezzo Jamie Barton, who, in an unusual though not unprecedented move, had also carried off the song prize the night before.
She is a great artist, no question, with an imperturbable steadiness of tone, and a nobility of utterance that invites comparison not so much with her contemporaries as with mid-20th century greats such as Kirsten Flagstad or Karin Branzell. Sibelius's Was it a Dream ideally demonstrated her voice's generosity and weight. The dynamic control of Je Vais Mourir from Berlioz's Les Troyens was exceptional. At the song prize final, which I watched on TV, her performance of Unbewegte Laue Luft, marked her out as one of the great Brahms interpreters of our times."
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, St David's Hall, Cardiff
The Guardian