Our St. Cecilia Choir Director is soprano Kara Lee Morgan. A native Pennsylvanian, Kara Morgan received her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. She subsequently spent two years in France studying voice at the Conservatoire de Nancy where she obtained the Médaille d’Or in 2004. With the orchestra of Nancy’s conservatory, Ms. Morgan toured several cities of the Lorraine region, including Nancy, Fraize and Pont-à-Mousson. In 2004, Ms. Morgan was the featured soloist with The Young Jazzianics and performed Thomas Gabriel’s Gregorianik and Jazz in Nuremberg and Weissenburg, Germany.
Returning to the United States to pursue her singing career, Ms. Morgan appeared in Sacchini’s Oedipe à Colone with Opera Lafayette of Washington D.C. and can be heard on the Naxos recording of the work. As a part of the Aspen Music Festival 2006, Ms. Morgan performed the U. S. Premiere of Arvo Pärt’s L’abbé Agathon, a concert work for soprano, four violas and four cellos. In 2005, Ms. Morgan was selected to join the Maryland Opera Studio in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area. As a member of this prestigious opera program Ms. Morgan appeared as Sophie in the Maryland Opera Studio’s production of Massenet’s Werther and later as Anne Sexton in Conrad Susa’s Transformations. Upcoming engagements include performing the role of Rose in the world premiere of John Musto’s Later the Same Evening and the role of Blondchen in Bel Cantanti’s production of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail.