Longing: American Art Songs CD

Harlie Sponaugle has been described as the Steinway of sopranos, with a seamless powerful voice that is warm and full on the top and resonant and clear on the bottom. From the expanse of the opera stage to the intimacy of the recital hall, her performances paint compelling musical pictures that speak straight to the heart.A proponent of American music, Ms. Sponaugle recently returned from Brussels where she presented a recital of all American music for the Transatlantic Center of the German Marshall Fund. She has appeared alongside Patti Lupone in Mark Blitzstein's Regina at the Kennedy Center and as Giorgetta in Puccini's Il Tabarro with the American Center for Puccini Studies. She is credited with the Washington, DC premiere of John Kander's The Letter from Sullivan Ballou, creating the roles of Rose in Paul Nasto's Love and Money and Selma in Richard Rose's The People's Voice, and the world premieres of numerous works by composers Ernst Bacon, Mark Adamo, Paul Leavitt, Paul Nasto, and Scott Upright.Ms. Sponaugle recently launched www.AmericanArtSong.org, a Web site dedicated to promoting American song. She earned her Master’s degree in vocal performance from George Mason University. She is Music Minister at CommUnity on the Hill and maintains an active vocal studio teaching adults who enhance their lives through the creative expression of song.