The Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano joins pianist Kathleen Kelly for a wide-ranging program from Duparc and Clara Schumann to contemporary American composers

Recital takes place November 15 at The Wallis in Beverly Hills

(Los Angeles) October 19, 2026 — Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton returns to LA Opera on Sunday, November 15, for a recital with pianist Kathleen Kelly at The Wallis in Beverly Hills. Barton, one of today’s most acclaimed and distinctive vocal artists, makes her first appearance with the company since her 2015 LA Opera debut as Adalgisa in Norma. The recital begins at 2pm.

Earlier this year, Barton won the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for Jake Heggie’s Intelligence, having created the role of Civil War spy Elizabeth Van Lew in the opera’s world premiere at Houston Grand Opera. Her November 15 recital showcases the breadth of her artistry, moving from the lush Romanticism of Henri Duparc and Clara Schumann to contemporary American works by Libby Larsen and Melissa Dunphy, along with one of the mezzo-soprano repertoire’s most beloved arias.

The first half opens with four songs by Duparc—“L’invitation au voyage,” “Extase,” “La vie antérieure” and “Phidylé”—followed by Clara Schumann’s Six Lieder, Op. 13. Barton then turns to opera with “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix,” Dalila’s celebrated seduction aria from Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila.

After intermission, Barton and Kelly explore American music with Libby Larsen’s five-song cycle Love After 1950, which draws on texts by five women poets and ranges musically from blues and torch song to honky-tonk and tango. The program continues with three songs from Melissa Dunphy’s Four Poems of Nikita Gill. The afternoon concludes on a lighter note with a trio of cat-themed songs by Jake Heggie, Gabriel Kahane and Gary Schocker, followed by Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler’s humorous “The Alto’s Lament.”

About Jamie Barton
American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton has earned international acclaim for her rich, powerful voice and expressive artistry, as well as her advocacy for women, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities. In 2013, she became the first woman to win both the Main Prize and Song Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition. Her honors also include a 2026 Grammy Award, the Beverly Sills Artist Award, Richard Tucker Award and International Opera Award. She was also named BBC Music Magazine's 2020 Personality of the Year.

Barton's 2026/27 season includes her debut at Teatro alla Scala as Baba the Turk in The Rake's Progress, Ježibaba in Rusalka at the Bavarian State Opera and her role debut as Jocasta in Oedipus Rex with Norddeutscher Rundfunk. She also performs Mahler at the BBC Proms, Festival Radio France Montpellier and Berlin's Konzerthaus, and makes her debut with the Oslo Philharmonic in Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius. She joins longtime collaborator Kathleen Kelly for a recital tour across the United States, including appearances with LA Opera and Seattle Opera. Her recordings include the solo album All Who Wander and Unexpected Shadows, her Grammy-nominated collaboration with composer and pianist Jake Heggie.

About Kathleen Kelly
Pianist Kathleen Kelly is an acclaimed collaborative artist, coach, conductor, writer and advocate whose international performing credits include Wigmore Hall, Weill Hall, Zankel Hall, the Kennedy Center and Vienna’s Musikverein. She has been part of the musical teams at the San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera and Vienna State Opera and has performed in recital with Barton and other leading singers. She is Director of the Vocal Studies Division at Baylor University.

Performance and Ticket Info
The recital will be presented at 2pm on Sunday, November 15, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis), located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at LAOpera.org and TheWallis.org, or by phone at 213.972.8001.

Additional information is available at LAOpera.org/Barton.

Photos of Jamie Barton are available for download here.

About LA Opera
Inspired by the extraordinary diversity and creativity of Los Angeles, LA Opera embraces that spirit through performances that continually redefine what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions and fresh perspectives on foundational works that make them feel immediate and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America's most exciting and ambitious opera companies.

In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, LA Opera explores new artistic possibilities through LA Opera Off Grand, presenting adventurous works in venues throughout Los Angeles that expand and enrich the operatic repertoire. The LA Opera Connects department offers a robust array of educational programs and community engagement initiatives that reach people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

About The Wallis
Since its doors opened in 2013, The Wallis, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, CA, is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national, and international performers share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. Distinguished by eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its location in the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis has produced and presented nearly 500 theater, dance, music, film, cabaret, comedy, performance arts, and family entertainment programs, boasting nominations for 79 Ovation Awards and nine LA Drama Critics Circle Awards, as well as six architectural awards. Learn more at TheWallis.org.

LA Opera Media Contact
Marlene Meraz
Director of Communications
mmeraz@laopera.org
213.972.7554

LA Opera is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.