Judith Overcash, Soprano

Praised for her "excellence of style and ease of expression" (Austin-American Statesman), soprano Judith Overcash has become well-known for a repertoire which ranges from medieval song to Baroque opera and oratorio and American musical theater. Her performances have taken her across North America and the UK, appearing as featured soloist with a number of leading period and modern ensembles and orchestras and as a guest artist and faculty at a variety of international workshops and festivals.

As a concert soloist, Judith has established a reputation performing large oratorio and dramatic works, early opera, mass and requiem settings from the Baroque through the 20th century, and has often been noted for bringing an "unexpected and interesting lightness" (Cleveland Plain Dealer) to such traditionally imposing pieces. She is, however, perhaps most well-known for her performances of smaller, more intimate and florid early music and chamber works, where her "lovely, clear-as-a-bell voice," paired with a style hailed as "wonderfully tasteful, understated and expressive" (Charleston Post and Courier) has proven to be a recipe for repeated critical acclaim.

Noted for being "even stronger when she is allowed to act as well as sing" (Cleveland Sun-Times), Judith is also professionally active in the theater, recently taking leading roles not only in musical theater but also a variety of dramatic and comedic productions. Her casting to date has exemplified a wide dramatic and vocal range, from soprano roles such as Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Kate in Kiss Me, Kate, Laurey in Oklahoma!, Sarah in Guys & Dolls, and Fiona in Brigadoon, to mezzo characters which include the title role in Mame, Adelaide in Guys & Dolls, and Janet Marley in The Christmas Carol Rag, and on to dramatic and comedic non-musical roles including Mary Smith in the British farce Run For Your Wife, Virginia in the apocalyptic comedy Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, and the role of Jessie Mae Watts in The Trip to Bountiful, for which she received an OCTA Excellence in Acting award.

Judith holds both Masters and Doctoral degrees in Early Music Performance Practices from Case Western Reserve University, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance/Music History, with additional post-graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin and the Indiana University Institute of Early Music where she studied opera, music history, and theater. She has held positions as lecturer and adjunct faculty in music history, vocal pedagogy, graduate research methods, and applied voice at CWRU in Cleveland and Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, and is ever-active as guest faculty and lecturer at both domestic and international workshops, for special events, and for local continuing and community education courses.

In addition to her appearances as a soloist, Judith is currently a professional choral director and maintains a private vocal studio. She appears regularly with the early music a cappella choral ensemble Quire Cleveland, as a frequent guest with the Trinity Chamber Singers, and volunteers a portion of her time with local community theater, filling positions on the Board of Directors for The Hudson Players and as a member of the Medina Showbiz Company and Stow Players.

Judith can be heard on recordings and public radio broadcasts with Istanpitta, Apollo's Fire {The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra}, the Texas Early Music Project, the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, the Columbus Bach Ensemble, the Dayton Bach Society, the Warren Philharmonic, Amherst Early Music, Inc., and the Charleston Pro Musica.