Biography
Soprano MEGAN WESTON is recognized for her “remarkable virtuosity and charm” (FINANCIAL TIMES), her “gorgeous lyric soprano” (OPERA MAGAZINE), and as a “strong and persuasive” performer (THE NEW YORK TIMES). She first gained international attention as Lisa in La sonnambula with Bel Canto at Caramoor Music Festival, and as Lightfoot McClendon in the world premiere production of Carlisle Floyd’s Cold Sassy Tree with San Diego Opera. Megan Weston's recent recordings include Pulitzer Prize-nominated The Virtues by Canadian-American composer William George and Space Force by French-American composer Philippe Treuille. This fall, she performs concerts for the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the International American Ballet, and the Paris American Club at the National Arts Club. She is an instructor of voice and piano at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Her 2023 - 2024 appearances featured chamber music programs of J.S. Bach's Cantata 51 Jachzet Gott in allen Landen with Freiburg University Concert Series at the Liederkranz Foundation, and recitals with the West Point U.S. Military Academy, Sing for Hope, Hewlett-Woodmere Concert Series, Ardsley Country Club, and the Rockland County Music Teachers Guild with pianist Michael Fennelly. She was featured with The Bad Boys of Opera in the EMMA Concert Series in Saint Augustine, Florida. With Athena Music Foundation, Megan Weston produced and performed in 007 at Swing 46, The Music of James Bond, an international tour to Hong Kong with The Athenians, as well as concerts for Vital Voices and the National Arts Club. Megan Weston sang Rachmaninoff's exuberant Spring Waters with the International American Ballet in New York City. She was the soprano soloist in the premiere performance in New York City of Space Force for soloists and chamber orchestra by composer Philippe Treuille. Megan was a jury member for the semi-finals and finals of the Premiere Opera International Vocal Competition in New York City.
In 2021 - 2022, MEGAN WESTON made her debut with the Joroinen Festival, Finland in an all-Gershwin program with the Jyväskylä Big Band and the Cantinovum Chamber Choir. She appeared on Savonlinna AAMU morning show, toured with The Bad Boys of Opera in Fort Meyers and St. Augustine, Florida, and sang concerts with Columbia University, Ocean City Pops, and Athena Music Foundation. In 2022, She performed with the Untermeyer Gardens Concert Series and the Kamen Brain Tumor Foundation. In 2020, just before the pandemic, she performed The Swallow and Match Girl in Sergio Cervetti's opera Elegy for a Prince with Distinguished Concerts International Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium, and sang at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall in Chinese New Year Spectacular.
Her career, spanning over fifty operatic roles, includes Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann and Lapak in The Cunning Little Vixen (Tulsa Opera), Frasquita in Carmen and Constance Bonacieux in the world premiere of Mitchell Bach's The Three Musketeers (Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice), and Anne in the world premiere of Harold Farberman’s Diamond Street with Hudson Hall later recorded at Bard's Fisher Center for Albany Records. She sang Tuptim in The King and I and Berta in The Barber of Seville (Charlottesville Opera), Amore in The Coronation of Poppea and Despina in Così fan tutte (Utah Opera), Masha in Ben Moore's Enemies, A Love Story and Demiurge in James Dashow's experimental opera Archimedes with the Center for Contemporary Opera, Nedda in Pagliacci and Jenny in Sondheim's Company (Madison Lyric Stage), Yum-Yum in The Mikado (Festival Ópera en la Calle, Mexico), Gilda in Rigoletto (Bard Conductors Institute), Norina in Don Pasquale with West Bay Opera, Dorine in Tartuffe with Opera San Jose, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni (Center City Opera Philadelphia). She appeared with Lyric Opera San Diego in many roles, including Norina in Don Pasquale; Cunegonde in Candide; Mabel in two productions of The Pirates of Penzance; Sylva in The Gypsy Princess and Lisa in Countess Maritza by Emmerich Kálmán; Adele in Die Fledermaus and Annina in A Night in Venice by Johann Strauss; Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof; and Blondchen in The Abduction from the Seraglio.
On the concert stage, MEGAN WESTON made her debut at Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium in Mozart’s Coronation Mass with New England Symphonic Ensemble and MidAmerica Productions. She has performed Copland's Poems of Emily Dickinson and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with San Diego Chamber Orchestra and the Glens Falls Symphony, Verdi's Requiem with Bard Conductors Institute and Long Island Choral Society, Carmina Burana with the San Diego Symphony, Messiah with Long Island Choral Society and Orchestra Nova, Brahms' Requiem with Seattle's Cascadian Chorale, Haydn's The Creation with Long Island Choral Society, Schubert's Mirjam's Siegesgesang with ProMusica Arizona, and premiered Two Masses by Phillipe Treuille with the Long Island Chorale Society. She toured the Dordogne region of France in programs with the St. Amand de Vergt Festival and Entrée des Artistes Festival ("grande qualite" - SUD-OEST), and has appeared in numerous opera gala concerts with such companies as Opera Orlando, New York City Opera, and Sing for Hope.
A talented cross-over artist called "the best ever Christmas pops soloist" (CAPE COD TIMES), MEGAN WESTON has appeared in multiple seasons of summer and Christmas pops concerts with the Cape Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Orchestra Nova, San Diego Symphony, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, and the San Diego Youth Symphony. She performed in a program of songs by Samuel Barber with the Metropolitan Opera Guild at Lincoln Center and the Marcella Sembrich Museum, and has appeared in concert on Japan's NHK Television, Chamber Music Sedona, and Bodhi Tree Concerts. She premiered nine new works by Nico Muhly, Craig Lucas, Arthur Kopit, Eve Beglarian and others with actors Olympia Dukakis, Eisa Davis and B.D. Wong in November 21, 1963: The Day Before at Symphony Space.
MEGAN WESTON began her career in the resident artist programs of Utah Opera, San Diego Opera, and the Aspen Opera Theater Center. She is the recipient of major awards from such esteemed organizations as the Gerda Lissner International Competition, the Lee Schaenen Foundation Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Western Regional Auditions, the Pavarotti International Competition, Leni Fe Bland Foundation Awards, Joyce Dutka Arts Competition, Opera Buffs-LA, NATS-LA Competition, Opera Guild of Southern California Auditions, and the Loren L. Zachary National Competition.
A member of BMI and SAG/AFTRA, her compositions, voice and acting have been featured in television shows, commercials, and films, including Perry Mason and The Queen's Gambit. A frequent collaborator with contemporary composers, she has premiered works by Carlisle Floyd, Nico Muhly, Myron Fink, Harold Farberman, Arthur Kopit, Ben Moore, and many more.
MEGAN WESTON is the co-founder and director of Athena Music Foundation, a non-profit organization that introduces new and diverse audiences to opera, classical music, and classic Broadway and film music. Athena presents many inventive performances each year, showcasing New York City's great artistic talent in intimate and imaginative venues. Athena has presented The Music of James Bond at Swing 46, and concerts for the World Finance United Exchange Summit in Dubai, Consulate General of France in NYC, Ocean City Pops, International Women's Day and WeLink Film Festival at the United Nations, Pocono Mountains Music Festival, Palm Beach Theater Guild, and the Athena Music Foundation Concert Series at both Carnegie Hall (Zankel and Weill), Santa Barbara's Lobero Theater, and the Kosciuszko Foundation. Their collaborations include concerts with the National Chorale and a production of La traviata with the Berkshire Theatre Group. The Athenians toured China with conductor Lǚ Jiā in performances at Tsinghua University in Beijing, and Dom Pedro V Theater in Macau.
MEGAN WESTON earned a Master of Arts in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Music from California State University, Fullerton where she was awarded overall winner in the Music Associates Competition, twice awarded the Opera Performance Award and nominated to Pi Kappa Lambda (Music Honor Society) by the faculty. She is a board member and has served on juries for the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Premiere Opera Foundation International Competition and Athena Music Foundation. She has taught master classes for the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and La Sierra University, and is the organist, cantor, and choir director for three parishes in the Archdiocese of New York.