“clear, free flying and of exciting timbre”

“thrilling…exquisite…with gorgeous top notes.”

These are but two critic descriptions of coloratura soprano Diane Penning’s voice. Equally at home in classical repertoire and pops, Diane has performed with orchestras around the country, with some in programs of both genres, including the Adrian, Arkansas, Battle Creek, Bijou and Colorado Springs Symphonies; the Dayton Philharmonic; the Dearborn, DuPage, Elgin, Elmhurst, Grand Rapids, and Grant Park Music Festival Symphonies; the Interlochen Arts Academy; and the Kalamazoo, Lafayette, Midland, Park Ridge, Pensacola, Rockford (IL), Saginaw Bay, Sheboygan, South Bend, South West Michigan, the Traverse Symphony and the West Michigan Symphony.

Her musical theatre credits include Cunegonde in Candide, Marian in The Music Man, Amalia in She Loves Me, Maria in West Side Story and “the grouch” in Kapilow’s Green Eggs & Ham.

Diane’s work in oratorio includes Bach’s B minor Mass and Christmas Oratorio; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; Faure’s Requiem; Handel’s Messiah; Haydn’s Creation, Harmonie Messe, and Lord Nelson Mass; Mozart’s Requiem; Orff’s Carmina Burana; Poulenc’s Gloria; Rutter’s Magnificat under the baton of Sir David Willcocks; and Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem, with such organizations as the Apollo Chorus in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, the Kalamazoo Bach Festival, and the Calvin College Oratorio Society.

Her opera roles include Adele in Die Fledermaus, Frasquita in Carmen, Musetta in La Boheme, and Papagena in The Magic Flute.

She holds degrees in music and voice from the University of Michigan (BM) and Western Michigan University (MM in voice performance.)

Diane’s professional recordings include Phantom Phantasy, with the Grand Rapids Symphony; Christmas Festival, with the Czek National Orchestra; Everything Under the Sun, with pianist Rich Ridenour; Simply Gershwin, with pianist Paul Bisaccia; and Sacred Space, with Composer/Performer Nicholas Palmer.