Mezzo-Soprano Jamie Barton’s Quartet of Historic Accolades
By David SalazarJamie Barton is one of the fast-rising stars of the opera world. Born on Oct. 17, 1981, you might already call her an operatic superstar, her performances drawing the most enthusiastic raves from critics the world over. Her showcase at the Met in 2016-17 in Dvorak’s “Rusalka” was continually lauded as “scene-stealing” and she just seems unstoppable.
In looking at Barton’s career, you can also see that she is among the most-lauded singers of her time, and perhaps ever, winning a number of top prizes that few other artists have been able to. In fact, no other singer in history has put together the following accolades on his or her respective resumes (though a few singers mentioned have won three of the four mentioned). Here is a look at the major accolades of a still-growing career.
Met Council Auditions Winner 2007
The first major step toward tremendous success, Barton was one of five winners of the 2007 Met Opera Council Auditions and was featured on the documentary film “The Audition.” This major victory put her on a path toward becoming a major artist in the US and a Metropolitan Opera regular.
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2013
How many singers have won the “Singer of the World” and “Song Prize” in the same year at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World? Since the competition’s inception in 1983 only three singers have accomplished the feat. And in that span you’ve had singers like Karita Matilla, Bryn Terfel, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Anja Harteros, among others. Until this year, when Catriona Morison managed to win both awards (though she tied for the “Song Prize”), Barton held the distinction of winning both major prizes alongside Marius Brenciu. Safe to say, the victory in 2013 was a major boon for Barton’s international profile.
Richard Tucker Award Winner 2015
The wins just kept on coming for Barton, as she picked up the prestigious Richard Tucker Award in 2015, becoming just the sixth mezzo-soprano to win the prestigious annual award since its inception in 1978, and just the second in the last 15 years since Joyce DiDonato won it in 2002. The other mezzos in her company include Jennifer Larmore, Dolora Zajick, Isabel Leonard, DiDonato, and Stephanie Blythe.
Beverly Sills Award 2017
In her most recent coup, the mezzo picked up the prestigious Beverly Sills Award, becoming the 11th winner in the accolade’s history. Other winners include, in order of victories, Nathan Gunn, Joyce DiDonato, Matthew Polenzani, John Relyea, Susanna Phillips, Isabel Leonard, Angela Meade, Bryan Hymel, Michael Fabiano, Quinn Kelsey, and Ailyn Pérez.