American lyric soprano Chantelle Constable has no intention of being another "cover girl" classical singer.

The standard "O Mio Babbino Caro" and Lord Webber's "Pie Jesu" are conspicuously absent; her repertoire of choice is modern; her favorite composers are Bernstein and Mahler, with the likes of Rorem and French composers such as Faure and Massenet following closely.

But Chantelle combines her love for more avant-garde, obscure works with an earnest passion for keeping the grand old classics alive. With the educational work of Leonard Bernstein as her guide and inspiration, Chantelle aspires to not only "make classical music exciting" for younger audiences, but to show them that real classical music doesn't have to be "changed" or "modernized" to be exciting and enjoyable. It's thrilling just as it is- just as the composer wrote it a hundred (or more) years ago!



Chantelle has been studying music for 14 years, voice in particular for 9 years. Her great love for choral singing began when she joined a local children's choir at age ten, and she has been an active participant in many choral groups since, as well as a successful soloist. Aside from the already mentioned modern "art songs," German lied, and French melodie, oratorio and sacred music composes a great deal of Chantelle's repertoire, and she has ambitions to perform soprano solos such as the ones in Mahler's 2nd and 4th symphonies.

On the lighter side of things, Chantelle also enjoys singing jazz. She has been inspired by the music of Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland (among others) from a very young age and takes great pride in preserving the traditions of the Great American Songbook.



The past has seen Chantelle making giant leaps of progress in admittedly erratic methods and modes. She released a four-song Christmas album in 2006 and recently spent three months in New York attending the Bernstein Festival and "soaking up culture." The future will see her embarking on a European tour with other members of the Flint Hills Masterworks Chorale, as well as endeavoring to record and release both a classical and a jazz album.