Biography

Contralto Diana Cantrelle is at home in opera, oratorio, TV and film. Critical reviews say, “her deep rich voice gives new meaning to the words and her roles have vibrant vocal color & style.” Her French repertoire, love of Verdi and oratorio interpretation provides, “high points to performances where she shows delicate vocal warmth as well as her acting talent.” “…she is a smart choice with her ability to give emotional depth to the opera’s score.”

Diana Cantrelle has performed at the Lyric in Baltimore, Wolf Trap, NYC Harmonia Opera, Peabody Opera Theatre, Washington Savoyards, L’Alliance Française, Silesian State Theatre (Czech Republic), Cincinnati Opera, Townsend Opera Players (California), Elysium (German Tour), Opera Santa Barbara & Opera Pacific.

Some favorite roles are Baba – The Medium, Azucena – Il Trovatore, Suzuki – Madame Butterfly, Witch – Hänsel &Gretel, Charlotte – Werther, Martha –The Secret Garden, & Mother – Amahl & the Night Visitors.

Recent performances – Mother Goose in The Rakes Progress at the Lyric in Baltimore, Contralto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah in Canada with Divertimento Orchestra – Maestro Slater, Contralto Soloist in Beethoven’s Mass in C and The Lord Nelson Mass with Peabody Orchestra/Chorus – Maestro Polochick, Zita in Gianni Schicchi with Peabody Opera Theatre, Maddalena in Rigoletto with NYC Harmonia Opera, sharing the stage with MET Star Lucine Amara.

Miss Cantrelle has created a new children’s opera Le Chat Botté (Puss in Boots) © 2010 based on the original Charles Perrault beloved fable, with a New Orleans Jazz twist. She studies composition with Judah Adashi & is a recipient of a Peabody Career Development Grant to produce this opera. Her CD – Vive la France will be released in 2012 includes several of her own compositions.

Upcoming roles are Journey A Thousand & One Nights © 2011 – Peabody Graduate Recital,Tituba in The Crucible with Peabody Opera Theatre, a concert version 2012 premiere of her children’s opera – Le Chat Botté © 2010 (Puss in Boots) and Maurya in Vaughan-Williams’ Riders to the Sea with Halifax Summer Opera Theatre in Nova Scotia.

Contralto Cantrelle studies with International Baritone William Sharp at Peabody Conservatory of Music, coaches with François Loup, Robert Muckenfuss & James Harp. She studies acting with John Astin, Roger Brunyate & Garnett Bruce.
She is a Masters candidate in Voice Performance/Vocal Pedagogy – 2012.