“Fashion Sense: Songs in Recital” CD release event set for Dec. 1 in Terry Concert Hall

A CD release event for “Fashion Sense: Songs in Recital” is at 5 p.m. Dec. 1 in Terry Concert Hall on the campus of Jacksonville University, 2800 University Blvd. N.

The CD on JU label Dolphinium Records is a collaboration of the College of Fine Arts’ Kimberly Beasley, Associate Professor of Voice, and Scott Watkins, Associate Professor of Piano.

Included are works by Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Strauss and Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari.

“This particular album features … carefully selected composers, musical styles, and languages that provide a pleasing arc of sound and emotion,” Beasley states in the CD notes. “These particular song selections provide a well-rounded late romantic art song experience that amply utilizes the range of the soprano. The listener will be taken on a musical journey of many different colors and levels of intensity.”

In his review for Classical Voice of North Carolina, William Thomas Walker called the CD “refreshing and eclectic,” stating: “Beasley’s selections reflect considerable intelligence and taste. Her mastery of four languages and vocal technique are consistently evident. Her care for words is reflected in her application of her palette of tone color and carefully shaded dynamics. Her Debussy is intoxicating while her performances of the Tchaikovsky and Strauss are searing and dramatic. Her touch is light and charming in the rare Wolf-Ferrai pieces. Watkins’s keyboard is as skillfully and insightfully deployed as was Beasley’s mastery. Her pleasing voice has a warm tone and is evenly supported across its range.”

Beasley has performed with Chicago’s Grant Park Symphony Chorus, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Festival Orchestra in Chicago, Southwest Michigan Symphony, Elmhurst Symphony, the Northwest Indiana Symphony, DuPage Opera Theatre and the New Philharmonic Orchestra, among many others.

The event is in part a fundraiser to help the American Diabetes Association find a cure for diabetes, as Beasley’s father and two brothers are diagnosed with it. To donate with a CD purchase, visit https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/kimberlybeasleysoprano.

For more on the event or to interview Beasley, email kimberlybeasley@kimberlybeasleysoprano.com.