Though we often refer to a singer as a “DMMO audience favorite,” no artist this season has a longer claim to that description than mezzo-soprano Gwendolyn Jones.
Jones, who is singing Herodias in this summer’s Salome, not only performed in the role for the company’s 30th anniversary season in 2002 but has a history with DMMO that stretches back to 1989. “I was in all three shows that year,” she recounts, as Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann, Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible and Octavian in Die Fledermaus’s Act Two “opera-within-an-opera” of Der Rosenkavalier (a role she would portray again in the full production of Rosenkavalier three years later). From 1992 to 2008 Jones added 19 more roles to her DMMO history, the most notable ones being
Augusta Tabor in The Ballad of Baby Doe (1995), Adalgisa in Norma (2000), Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos (2004), Elizabeth I in Gloriana (2005), and the title roles in Carmen (1994) and Regina (2008). Jones counts those roles as her favorites, but adds, “Generally my favorite is whatever I’m singing at the moment!”
Jones is excited to be back on the DMMO mainstage this summer, a place that holds memorable moments that are “too many to count.” “There were lots of special performances with great colleagues whose talent, grace and friendship were truly inspiring,” Jones says and singles out one particular cast member as a fond memory. “The white Persian cat my character Berta carried in The Barber of Seville—whenever the audience applauded, she would stretch out and pose. She thought she was in the finals of a cat show! Many didn’t believe she was real and thought I was holding a puppet.”
Originally from Oklahoma, Jones spent years in New York and San Francisco, but has called Baton Rouge home since 2002. When she’s not singing, she shares her passion for music with the younger generation. She was instrumental in the creation of Kids’ Orchestra, a local non-profit that teaches strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion to children in public and private schools throughout the city. She teaches masterclasses at various universities, and she has judged vocal competitions across the country. Most recently, Jones branched into the world of development, fundraising and event planning—proving that her range and professionalism reach beyond the musical.
Though this summer won’t see the return of Michelle the Persian cat, long-time audience members and newcomers alike will be in for a treat when the beloved and versatile talent of Gwendolyn Jones takes the stage in what promises to be a riveting Salome.
For more information, a full cast listing and tickets, click here >
The blog of Des Moines Metro Opera 