With a voice described as “fresh”, “ethereal”, "captivating" and “elegant”, soprano Brenna Wells is garnering attention for her varied performances. Her recent operatic roles include La Poesie and La Paix in Les Arts Florissants, Galatea in Acis and Galatea, Venus in L’Europe Galante, Sandman in Hansel and Gretel, Anna II in The Seven Deadly Sins, and she was Première Nymphe de l’Acheron in the Boston Early Music Festival’s production and Grammy-nominated recording of Lully’s Psyché. In 2005 she made her Carnegie Weill Hall Debut as a winner of the International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition, and returned to Carnegie Hall under the baton of Ton Koopman as a Young Artist. Ms. Wells has sung and recorded with such acclaimed ensembles as the BEMF Orchestra, Blue Heron, Britten-Pears Baroque Orchestra, Boston Baroque, Opera Boston, L’Académie, and the Handel and Haydn Society. She has appeared in many festivals and programs world wide including the London Handel Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Amherst Early Music Festival, BBC Proms and in both 2008 and 2009, she was selected to perform in the Early Music Seminars at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, Italy. She is featured on two new BEMF recordings, Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Acteon and John Blow's Venus and Adonis as well as the critically acclaimed Blue Heron Renaissance Choir recording, Music From the Peterhouse Partbooks, Vol 1.

Highlights of the 10-11 season included solo performances with L'academie, Exsultemus, and the Marsh Chapel Choir and Collegium's performance of St. Matthew Passion. Ms. Wells appeared as the First Witch in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with the Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Opera Series and made her soloist debut with the Handel and & Haydn Society in Handel's Israel in Egypt, under the direction of Harry Christophers. This season she joins the Austin based ENSEMBLE VIII for performances including the Couperin and Charpentier Leçons de Ténèbres. She will appear as the soprano soloist in Bach's Christmas Oratorio with the Harvard-Radcliff Chorus as well as singing La Musique in Charpentier's Les Plaisirs de Versailles with the L'academie ensemble. She will appear in the Yale Choral Artists' inaugural season, under the direction of William Christie and she returns as a BEMF Vocal Ensemble member in their Chamber Opera productions of Charpentier's La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers and La Couronne de Fleurs, singing the roles of Enone and Amaranthe, respectively. She will reprise these roles in the BEMF Festival and Exhibition in June 2013.

For the extended biography, please click HERE.

PRESS:

"All of the vocal soloists were seemingly short on years yet long on experience, a dynamic combination. Their performances were clean and polished, demonstrating admirably clear diction of the German text. Also memorable was the Duet Aria in Part III, featuring soprano (and very angelic-appearing Angel) Brenna Wells and baritone David McFerrin. The gossamer, sweet tones of Wells were complemented by McFerrin’s resonant voice. The result was an engaging performance in which both artists shone."
- The Boston Musical Intelligencer (Harvard Radcliffe Chorus's performance of Bach's Christmas Oratorio Parts 1-3)

"The singers offered strong performances as soloists, as well as stellar ensemble performances... In the second half of the work, the duets between Rosélie and Amaranthe (Brenna Wells and Carrie Henneman Shaw, respectively), following Flore’s declaration that all would share the prize, served as perhaps the most charming vocal ensembles on the program."
- The Boston Muscial Intelligencer (BEMF Production of Charpentier's La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers and La Couronne de Fleurs)

"Of course the ensemble of talented musicians and vocalists BEMF has by now attracted had a lot to do with the success of the production, too...with subtle solo turns from Jason McStoots, Michael Kelly and Brenna Wells".
- The Hub Review (BEMF Production of Charpentier's La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers and La Couronne de Fleurs)

"Soprano Brenna Wells made a convincing diva as Music, with Teresa Wakim’s boisterous interjections and sly timing earning laughs as the chatty Conversation. Both sopranos blended seamlessly in duet and demonstrated clear diction throughout..."
- The Boston Musical Intelligencer (L'Academie's production of Charpentier's Les Plaisirs de Versailles)

"The concert opened with Sigismondo d’India’s Lamento d’Olimipia, sung by Brenna Wells, who was accompanied by Liddell and Walhout. Wells was expressive and engaging; she exhibited a strong understanding of the Baroque lament style, including declamation, decorum, and pacing.....Wells performed two more solo selections, each displaying the same skill and captivating “readings” of the text. For d’India’s setting of an anonymous text on the subject of love’s arrows, Wells and Canavin displayed impressive dexterity while creating a very pleasing ensemble......Countertenor Martin Near was later joined by Wells in the concert’s closing number...The duo performed the work in a highly engaging fashion, offering a pleasing close to the evening’s “impromptu” program."
- The Boston Musical Intelligencer (Exsultemus' Recital Program in place of Vecchi's Night Games of Siena)

"Christophers chose to assign these solos to members of the chorale (as is often done), which showcased some individual singers well.....and a sparkling duet for H&H mainstays Brenna Wells and Teresa Wakim"
- The Hub Review (H&H's production of Handel's Israel in Egypt)

"Certain soloists and duets stood out in this section, including an impressive display of vocal technique and elegance between sopranos Teresa Wakim and Brenna Wells in the duet, “The Lord is my strength"".
- The Boston Musical Intelligencer (H&H's production of Handel's Israel in Egypt)

"the consort witches were a wonderful noisy duo and the staging was effectively autumnal, charged and sometimes humorous. "
- Stylus Fine Arts Review (BEMF Production of Dido and Aeneas, Brenna Wells as First Witch)

"The two sopranos, Teresa Wakim and Brenna Wells, provided a beautiful duet in 'The Lord is my strength and my song'; their voices wonderfully matched and blending exceptionally well."
- The Boston Musical Intelligencer (Back Bay Chorale's Israel in Egypt)

"Soprano Brenna Wells, mezzo-soprano Emily Marvosh, low tenor Michael Barrett, and high baritone Sumner Thompson all sang individually with clear voices, excellent diction, and dramatic expression."
- The Boston Musical Intelligencer (L'academie: (S)He's just not that into you: Love Songs)

"Bostonist was also rather charmed by Brenna Wells, who sang three times, and each piece was like a very small, tart pastry, gone in a couple bites. We've never been big on Prudence, but Wells' delivery of "As is it plenty" (W.H. Auden set to music by Benjamin Britten) nearly made us reconsider." - The Bostonist (Opera Boston, Opera Underground, "Seven Virtues" show)

"The opening "Sing Ye to the Lord," from Israel in Egypt, featured ethereal top notes from soloist Brenna Wells" - The Hub Review (Boston Secession, Handel in the Strand)

"The program also included star turns by Ms. Hargis, Marek Rzepka, Ms. Snaidas and Brenna Wells, the soloists in a Mattheson wedding serenade, 'Die Keushe Liebe.'" – The New York Times (BEMF Orchestra Concert)

"…high soprano Brenna Wells sang with admirable brightness” – The Boston Globe (BEMF Orchestra Concert)

"My ear was constantly beguiled: Brenna J. Wells, a delicate blonde sparrow, and Lawrence Jones, a willowy tenor became flowing silver (she) and gold (he) separately and together. Their physical slightness is deceiving: Ms. Wells performed her trills with unforced ease and demonstrated a few high notes in Dolby-like volume...it is to their credit that they sounded as fresh at the end of the evening as they did in the beginning." -- The Theatre Mirror (Acis and Galatea)

"The (Acis and Galatea) cast was excellent...soprano Brenna Wells (Galatea) sang neatly and affectingly" -- The Boston Globe (Acis and Galatea)

"The supporting cast was youthful, lively, engaging, and uncommonly persuasive: soprano Brenna Wells, mezzo Dianna Daly Betit, and, especially fine, tenor Charles Blandy and baritones Dana Whiteside and Philip Candilis…" -- The Boston Globe (La Traviata)