Jocelyn Colao
Mezzo-Soprano, Jocelyn Colao, is a graduate of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance as a student of Sharon Sweet. While at Westminster, she sang roles such as Connie Sue in the musical Smile, and Soeur Antoine in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites, in addition to performing in scenes from Mozart’s Die Zauberflote. In 2008, Ms. Colao was selected to attend the Crittenden Opera Studio, where she performed in scenes from Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, Delibes’ Lakme, and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Ms. Colao’s solo professional debut was in the Spoleto Music Festival’s production of Charpentier’s Louise. Ms. Colao has been seen in other roles such as Buttercup in Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, Tessa in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Gondoliers, Kate in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, and Pitti-Sing in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado. At Westminster, Ms. Colao appeared as a soloist with the Westminster Chapel Choir, Schola Cantorum, Williamson Voices, and the world-renowned Westminster Choir, and was a member of the Westminster Symphonic Choir who performed with world-renowned orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, and the Staatskapelle Berlin, under the direction of legendary conductors such as Kurt Mazur, Ton Koopman, Gilbert Kaplan, Pierre Boulez, and Christoph Eschenbach. Ms. Colao continued her love of choral singing after graduation and has sung with professional ensembles such as Anam Cara, under the direction of Dr. James Jordan, Princeton Pro Musica, under the direction of Frances Fowler Slade, Juneau Vocal Alliance, under the direction of Thomas Juneau, the Kinnara Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. JD Burnett, and Brevitas, under the direction of Dr. Matthew Nielsen. From 2010-2018, Ms. Colao was a member of the All Saints’ Choir in Princeton, NJ, where she performed as an alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem. Ms. Colao has also been seen as the alto soloist with Princeton Pro Musica in Schnittke’s Requiem, with the Colby College Chorale in Mozart’s Mass in C, with Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Handel’s Messiah, with The Continuo Arts Foundation in Schubert’s Magnificat, and, most recently, with the Kinnara Ensemble in Vaughn Williams’ Serenade to Music. Ms. Colao is a seasoned recitalist and has performed in Cleveland, OH, Princeton, NJ, Long Island, NY, Long Branch, NJ, and performed and orchestrated the successful recital series When In Rome… Songs of Love, Beauty, and Tragedy. Ms. Colao’s album credits include The West Wind with Brevitas, Provenance with Kinnara Ensemble, Innisfree: Choral Music of Hope, Dreams, and Living with Anam Cara, Visions Eternal with the Juneau Vocal Alliance, and Flower of Beauty with the Westminster Choir. Ms. Colao is proud to have been a driving force in the creation and execution of The Minuetto Music Festival, produced by The Continuo Arts Foundation, where she created and implemented The Milton Cross Young Artist Program, and also performed in the Festival Finale Concert Chorale, as well as scenes from Delibes’ Lakme. Ms. Colao has also sung internationally as a member of the choruses for The Festivale Pro Musica e Arte Sacra, the International Festivale per Giovanni Musicisti, and the Concerto Capella Sistina Idyllic Ireland tour, where she was a member of the first American Choir to give a private performance in the Sistine Chapel. Ms. Colao was also featured singing on Irish National television while representing Philadelphia in the 2009 Rose of Tralee International Competition.
Shortly after graduating from Westminster, Jocelyn started her teaching experience, and, before moving to Chicago, maintained an active music studio of more than 40 students of both voice and piano. Over the course of Jocelyn’s 9+ years of teaching, she has orchestrated numerous recitals and performances, as well as recording sessions for her students. Jocelyn is currently taking on new students for her Highland Park studio.