about
Soprano Elizabeth Van Os is one of New York City’s most dynamic performers, making waves not only as soloist and ensemble member but also as a co-founder of the non-profit Pleiades Project. For her efforts, the opera-zine parterre took notice of her “striking impression,” with additional praise from Voce di Meche for her “lovely, affecting” voice and “justifiable passion.”
A lover of concert work, Elizabeth has appeared as soloist with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Berkshire Bach Society, The Astoria Choir, the Collegiate Choir, Ars Musica, and more. Pieces include Luigi Nono’s Intolleranza, David Lang’s Battle Hymns, Song of Norway, and Yotam Haber’s I Am.
In opera, notable roles have included that of Margeurite in Faust and Mimi in La Bohéme, both as Sing Through Central productions. She is a regular invited guest at the Bard SummerScape festival, where she has performed in productions like Anton Rubenstein’s Démon, Dvorâk’s Dimitrij, Pietro Mascagni’s Iris, and Dame Ethel Smyth’s Wreckers.
With an eye towards growing the repertoire, Van Os’s career has a particular focus on collaboration with select contemporary music composers. Recently, she premiered Matthew Brown’s “The Beautiful America” with The Astoria Choir, and also appeared as a featured soloist on the New York Virtuoso Singers recording of music by Katherine Hoover.
Always looking to advance opportunities for women in music, Van Os is the co-founder of The Pleiades Project, a non-profit production company dedicated to creating new performance opportunities for female artists who wish to express the strength, unique vision, and individuality of their art. These include short films of opera scenes, artist spotlights, and live events. Their first short film Così is currently available on their website, while their second short film, Ophélie, is currently in post-production. Outside Pleiades, Van Os creates unique artistic experiences as a music curator for the arts presenting organization Inception to Exhibition.
Based in New York City, Elizabeth Van Os was born as Elizabeth Smith in Wendell, Idaho. She holds a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Brigham Young University in Idaho. Her masterful pedagogues include Katherine Ciesinski, Kristine Ciesinski, and Rebecca Wascoe, and Bonnie Hamilton.
ihr habt nun traurigkeit | brahms
reading
improv for mormons
When I turned 30, I got serious about going to therapy and after three years of extreme patience on the part of my therapist, I figured out eleven or twelve things all at once. One of the most shocking lightbulbs that I uncovered was that my fear of making mistakes...
let’s talk about my favorite operas
In 1925, Alban Berg's first opera Wozzeck was premiered in Berlin. He'd adapted the libretto himself from an unfinished stage play by Georg Büchner, who left the work fragmented and incomplete when he died at the age of 23. Büchner had a death worthy of an operatic...
this is a test
2022 Sometimes, I wonder what my life would have looked like if I had stayed in Idaho after I finished my undergrad. I imagine that I would have eventually found a mormon man who was willing to overlook my general lack of faith and obsession with rules. I might have...