Morris, Joan (Clair)
Morris, Joan (Clair)
Morris, Joan (Clair), American mezzo-soprano; b. Portland, Ore., Feb. 10, 1943. She studied voice with Lyle Moore at Gonzaga Univ. (1963–65), and received training in speech and voice from Clifford Jackson at the American Academy of Dramatic Art (diploma, 1968) and then privately (1968–73). She also studied with Frederica Schmitz-Svevo in N.Y. (1968–74). In 1972 she began to concertize with William Bolcom, whom she married in 1975. In addition to many engagements in the U.S., they have won success abroad in Florence (1989), Moscow (1991), and London’s Wigmore Hall (1993). In 1997 they celebrated their 25th anniversary as duo artists. Morris has become widely known for her performances of both serious and popular works, ranging from the early American period to scores by her husband. She has recorded 20 albums and CDs, ranging from After the Ball: A Treasury of Turn-of-the-Century Popular Songs(1974) to collections of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, and Cabaret Songs by Bolcom and Arnold Weinstein. In 1981 she joined the musical theater program of the Univ. of Mich.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire