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Marion
Russell Dickson, soprano, holds a Master of Music Degree in Performance and
Literature and a Performer's Certificate from Eastman School of Music. She
received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance from Westminster
Choir College. Ms. Dickson is the First Place Helen Boatwright Award Recipient
of the 2000 Civic Morning Musical Competition held in Syracuse, New York.
Public performances as a soloist across the country include locations such as
Houston, Texas, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Rochester, New York, Charleston, West
Virginia, Princeton, New Jersey, and New York City.
Ms. Dickson enjoys performing soloist works in oratorios, operas, and recital
settings. Her experiences as a soloist include Haydn's The Creation, Bach's Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV
140, Mozart's Vesperare
solennes de confessore, Handel’s Messiah,
DuBois’ Seven Last Words of
Christ, and Mozart’s Requiem,
among others. Operatic and light opera appearances include the title role in
the Eastman Opera Theatre's production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience, in
which Opera News
noted Marion Russell Dickson as one of four standout performers, noting:
"Marion Russell's clarion Patience..." She also portrayed Céile in
Signor Deluso, Jennie in Opera Rochester's production of Kurt Weill's Down in the Valley, as
well as singing Lakmé in the famous duet by Delibes under conductor David
Gilbert with the Eastman Philharmonia.
The Song Recital setting is close to Ms. Dickson’s heart, having worked this
repertoire with coaches such as Dalton Baldwin, Thomas Jaber, Benton Hess, Dr.
Russell Miller, Dr. J.J. Penna, and others. Ms. Dickson also enjoys
collaborating with contemporary composers, and traveled to New York City to
work with composer Robert Baksa on his settings of Sara Teasdale poems, which
resulted in a private premier of these works for the composer. In May
2007 Ms. Dickson performed the Houston Premiere of Chasms, a cycle of nine songs composed for
her by composer Randolph Partain. As a lover of Sacred Music, Ms. Dickson,
as a part of the Aquinas Ensemble, recently participated in performing a
Concert of Sacred Music in the mesmerizing Chapel of St. Basil at the
University of St. Thomas, in Houston, Texas.
Collegiate teaching experiences for Ms. Dickson include teaching Studio Voice,
Diction, Master Classes, Opera Workshop, Art Song Literature, and other music
courses at institutions such as the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas,
Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, Lone Star College-Kingwood
and Lone Star College–Montgomery in greater Houston, Houghton College in
Houghton, New York, Nazareth College in Rochester, New York, and Eastman School
of Music (Graduate Assistant).
Spring 2008 began Ms. Dickson's exciting appointment at the University of Saint
Thomas, in the Arts District of Houston. Ms. Dickson also continues to
maintain a private studio in Kingwood, where she lives with her husband,
musician and educator Chris Dickson, and their children. Marion Russell Dickson
is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and currently
serves as President for the Greater Houston Chapter of NATS.
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