A full-voiced mezzo who possesses great agility and power along with a wide, even range, Dorothy has appeared with Lyric Opera of Chicago as Mrs. MacLean in Susannah, Mrs. Olsen in Street Scene, the Mayor’s Wife in Jenufa, Gertrude in Romeo et Juliette, the Whore in Mahagonny, The Monitor in Suor Angelica, and the Baroness in Candide. Additionally, she has covered many principal roles for Lyric Opera, including the Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, the Secretary in The Consul, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, and the Old Lady in Candide.
In 2006 Ms. Byrne was part of the cast for the recording of The Mines of Sulphur, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Opera Recording. Recent engagements include Larina in Eugene Onegin with Opera Theater of St. Louis, Aunt Cecilia in Little Women at Kentucky Opera, and her return to Glimmerglass Opera to sing Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance. Upcoming engagements see her making her Florida Grand Opera debut as Lydia in the world premiere of Anna Karenina, which she will also perform with the Opera Theater of Saint Louis, retuning to Hawaii Opera Theater for Gertrude in Romeo et Juliette and Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, singing Marcellina for Dallas Opera’s Le nozze di Figaro, and
appearing in Minnesota Opera’s Rusalka.
In addition to her regular appearances with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dorothy is becoming a presence in other important companies around the United States, most recently appearing as Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro at her Houston Grand Opera debut. With Opera Theatre of St. Louis Dorothy has performed the role of Gertrude in Hamlet, Emilia in Otello, and the roles of Venere and Dorilla in Goehr’s Arianna. She has appeared with the Minnesota Opera as Cecilia March in Little Women; with Glimmerglass Opera as Clementine in Offenbach’s Bluebeard and Leda/Mrs. Traxell in Bennett’s The Mines of Sulphur; with Boston Lyric Opera as the Marquise in Daughter of the Regiment and Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus; with Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Katisha in The Mikado; with Hawaii Opera Theatre as the Page in Salome, Fillipyevna in Eugene Onegin, Nicklausse and the Mother’s Voice in Les contes d’Hoffmann; with Des Moines Metro Opera as the Secretary in The Consul and Public Opinion in Orpheus in the Underworld; with Kentucky Opera as Mrs. Ott in Susannah and with the St. Louis Symphony as Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. Her portrayal of Ma Moss in Copland’s The Tender Land with Chicago Opera Theater vividly displayed her vocal and theatrical talents, and she also sang Zita in Gianni Schicchi and Buoso’s Ghost with that company. Oratorio performances have included Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Wheaton Conservatory of Music, Verdi’s Requiem with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, where she appeared in theworld-premiere of Hanson’s Hiawatha.
Ms. Byrne participated in the Equity workshop of Parade with Harold Prince, Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry. Dorothy appeared as the Confidante and Madame Giry in the Broadway National Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. Director Harold Prince, in a personal recommendation, states, “She’s a beautiful singer and an accomplished actress.”