Does anyone have information on Katheleen Battle. What is she doing now? Will she release anymore cd's?

I posted your query on the Music Library Association discussion list and AFROMUS-L and got a number of responses. They are compiled and listed below:

I got on to Netscape search engine and did the following search:

"Kathleen Battle" 1999-2000

This retrieved approx. 130 hits incl.: engagements in Oregon, Toronto, Calgary, San Jose St. Univ., and others.

There does not seem to be a celebrity site for her with up to the mintue info. Someday maybe.

The 2000 Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts lists three different groups or agents who represent or do business with
Ms. Battle. One of them may be able to give you complete information.

Columbia Artists Management, Inc.
212-841-9500
cami@cami.com

Askonas Holt
0171 400 1700
info@askonasholt.co.uk
www.askonasholt.co.uk

Organisation Internationale Artistique
(33) 1 42 25 58 34
oia@oia-polive.com


Try Operabase: Singer Schedules (http://operabase.com/level1/singers.html)


A search of Infotrac's newspapers database brought up a performance by Kathleen Battle on Oct. 20, 1999 at the Cerritos Center, from the
Los Angeles Times, 9/19/99.

The Washington Post, May 8, 2000 : "When the same cell phone went off the second time in the middle of Kathleen Battle's Kennedy Center Concert Hall recital Saturday afternoon..."

The Washington Post, Jan 1, 2000 : "It was a once-in-a lifetime invitation--greeting the new century at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.


Randye, just in the nature of sheer gossip, she did sing a highly-heralded recital in Cleveland this past fall, i.e. the advance publicity was on the order of a Three Tenors appearance, half-page newspaper ads, etc. I was not there so this is entirely 2nd-hand. It took place in a downtown theater rather than one of the classical music venues and I have no doubt that the acoustics could not have been the best for a song recital, which probably has a lot to do with why the Plain Dealer music critic noted that the amount of sound - never great for a voice of her fach in any case - seemed to have diminished; that the voice otherwise retained much of its quality, although
there were uncertainties of pitch throughout; and that the rapport with the accompanist (a name I had never heard of on the scene) was strained. Her recital appeared to be a typical K.B. song recital program, including one aria. I'm not aware of any opera appearances these days - that would seem to be in keeping with her age and the type of voice in any case - but she may be doing more concert work of this nature.


Probably you could check with Columbia Artists Management, Inc. (CAMI). Don't know if they have her itinerary on the 'Web but they might.


Though I do not know of her full activities, Ms. Battle is scheduled to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra on July 27th. This outdoor
concert will be at the Mann Music Center. (see www.philorch.org)

She will be performing Previn's Honey and the Rue along with other songs to be announced.

I suspect that the number of her operatic performances is down over
previous years but that she is currently doing recitals. Her reputation for being difficult to work with has impacted on the willingness of some
organizations to engage her contractually.
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I hope this helps.

Kathleen Battle will present her ONLY NEW YORK recital at Carnegie Hall Thursday, April 19, 2001 at 7:30. Ms. Battle will be accompanied by Martin Katz and will feature Ricardo Morales on clarinet. The program is as follows:

SCHUBERT Vier Canzonen, D. 688
Schubert Viola, D. 786
Schubert Der Hirt auf dem Felsen
Massenet "Je marche sur tous les chemins....Obeissons quand leur voix appelle" from Manon
Ravel Sherherzade
Traditional: This little light of mine arr H. Smith
Traditional: Jesus lay your head in the window arr. H. smith
Traditional: Witness arr. H. Smith

Unfortunately this recital was sold out TWO YEARS IN ADVANCE......I Love Kathleen, no matter what the critics think

Patrick D. McCoy

Is there a recording of Kathleen Battle's
Carnegie Hall performance from April, 2001 ?

I am especially interested in a recording
of Der Hirt auf dem Felsen.

Thank you.
Linda J. Dawson

Kathleen Battle is also scheduled to appear at the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts in East Lansing Michigan on December 21, 2002. This is a special holiday concert program. For ticket information or repertoire, visit the center's web site at: http://web.msu.edu/~wharton/ww122102.html. I hope this helps.

To the best of my knowledge there is no recording of her 2001 Carnegie Hall Concert but you can get her Shepard on a Rock, Der Hirt aus dem Felson on her Schubert Disc with James Levine on the Deutsche Grammophon Label.