Nancy Ogle “Rediscovering Millay” Concert

Nancy Ogle [courtesy  Credit University of Maine.] 

“Rediscovering Millay” Concert at Camden Library September 6

Edna St. Vincent Millay was first “discovered” at the Whitehall Inn one century ago, in August, 1912, by a patron who recognized her talent and was able to send her to Vassar and thereby on to international renown. The Camden Public Library will celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Millay’s discovery with a musical concert “Rediscovering Millay,” featuring soprano Nancy Ogle and pianist Laura Artesani of the University of Maine School of Performing Arts. The concert will be on Thursday evening, September 6, at 7:00 pm at the Camden Public Lilbrary. There will be no charge for the performance.

The concert will be a musical evening of Millay poem settings sung by Nancy Ogle with accompaniment by Laura Artesani. Poet Kathleen Ellis will be the narrator for the evening, providing commentary and reading some of Millay’s poems

Nancy Ogle holds a master of music degree in vocal performance from Indiana University, where she studied voice with Martha Lipton. Her concert career has included television appearances in Canada and Germany as well as the United States and performances in England, Austria, Russia, Georgia (Republic), and Japan. Ogle has also performed premieres of many concert works, including pieces by composers John Eaton, Don Stratton, Jan Gilbert, Marilyn Ziffrin, Don Dilworth, and Mary Ann Joyce. In addition to “The Poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay,” her recital programs include “American Poetry of the 1930s,” “American Poetry of the 1950s,” “American Women Poets,” “American Women Composers,” “New York Composers,” “Maine Composers,” and song settings of the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

Ogle is also a Maine Touring Artist. With help from accompanying musicians and scholars of poetry and composition, she has evaluated hundreds of scores of unpublished works by American composers living throughout the United States and abroad. Drawing from published and unpublished sources, Ogle has created programs, in the lecture-recital format, which she has performed in the New England area. She is currently Professor of Music at the University of Maine, where she teaches voice and directs the Opera Workshop.

Pianist Laura Artesani serves as piano accompanist for the University Singers and the Athena Consort, two choral ensembles in the University of Maine School of Performing Arts. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Maine Music Educators Association. Artesani received a master’s in piano performance from the University of Maine, and she earned a doctorate in piano performance from West Virginia University, where she was the recipient of the Swiger Teaching Fellowship for four years.

Nancy Ogle [courtesy  Credit University of Maine.] 

Works to be performed at the September 6 concert include two versions of Millay’s “Recuerdo,” “First Fig,” “What Lips My Lips Have Kissed,” and many others.