Meredith Arwady, with Mikael Eliasen, piano

by David Shengold

opera

Philadelphia's conservatories contain some remarkable vocal talent at the moment. One of the most amazing instruments is the deep, true contralto of 25-year-old Meredith Arwady. Contraltos are the lowest female voices, and excellent ones -- like Philly's world-renowned Marian Anderson and Poland's Ewa Podles, currently wowing audiences on Broad Street -- are even rarer than first-rate tenors. Arwady, who indeed won first place in last year's Marian Anderson Prize for Emerging Classical Artists, bids fair to be a singer of national distinction and maybe more. The Kalamazoo native came to Curtis in 2000 to study with the head of its vocal studies department, Mikael Eliasen. She's performed strikingly in leading roles by Monteverdi, Ravel, Stravinsky and Curtis alumni Barber and Menotti. With fine diction, deep even tone and an honest, rooted presence, she made a definite mark in a supporting role in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's striking October Susannah. Astral Concerts presents Arwady's formal Philadelphia recital debut with Eliasen at the piano. The highly attractive program encompasses some of the masterpieces of the song literature (Brahms' Four Serious Songs and Mahler's sublime Rückertlieder), songs by two revered composers with close ties to Philadelphia (William Bolcom and Ned Rorem), a world premiere (Sheep in Fog) written for the contralto by Harrison Boyle and three musical-comedy crowd pleasers by Bernstein and Sondheim. Catch Meredith Arwady's prodigious voice and musicality while you can.

Meredith Arwady, with Mikael Eliasen, piano, Sun., Feb. 8, 3 p.m., $5-$15, Trinity Center for Urban Life, 2212 Spruce St., 215-735-6999.

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