About
Rachel DeShon.
BIOGRAPHY
“Rarely have I come across as talented and noteworthy a person as Rachel DeShon” - Marvin Hamlisch
With a voice that has been called “undeniably fantastic”, Rachel DeShon was the winner of Marvin Hamlisch’s Search for a Star competition with the Seattle Symphony and was a guest artist on his national tour. Rachel is at home with symphonies, opera houses, theatre productions and even circus tents. Rachel has proven herself to be an extremely versatile performer and strives to use her voice in exciting and dynamic ways.
She’s performed with Marvin Hamlisch, Joan Baez, Ann Wilson, Thelma Houston, Martha Davis, Norman Durkee, Lilianne Montevecchi, and Frank Ferrante. She’s appeared as a guest artist with the Seattle Symphony Pops under the direction of Marvin Hamlisch, Boston POPS! under the direction of Keith Lockhart, Pittsburgh Symphony Pops, 5th Avenue Theatre, North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Auburn Symphony Orchestra, Federal Way Symphony, Bainbridge Symphony and at Singapore’s Esplanade Concert Hall.
Currently she working on reimagining Emmy Award Winner Tim Noah's In Search of the Wow Wow Wiggle Wobble Wazzie Woodle Woo!, a solo theatrical show for young people and families.
Recently, Rachel was seen as Florence Foster Jenkins in Souvenir: a fantasia on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins (a show which she also self-produced), Donna in Mamma Mia!, the Voice in Pat Henman's dramatic presentation of Beyond the Legal Limit as well as debuting her solo show Look for the Silver Lining.
She was seen in the Broadway bound revival of The Secret Garden at the 5th Avenue Theatre. She made her debut with the Seattle Men’s Chorus in their Legacy concert series, featuring the two critically acclaimed works, I Am Harvey Milk and Tyler’s Suite, appearing with Andrew Lippa as Harvey Milk. Rachel premiered Seattle Opera’s production of Our Earth, a cycle of operas created for children, performed in partnership with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and Seattle Opera’s Children’s Chorus. Rachel was a recurring cast member with Teatro ZinZanni, an immersive show combining cirque, cabaret, music, magic, and deemed their “Littlest Diva”.
Multi-octave DeShon paired with San Diego’s Creepxotica and released the exotica tribute album featuring the music of the legendary Yma Sumac in Taking Yma Sumac One Step Further.
She received the Encouragement Award for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, won First Place in the NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Tri-State (IL, MO, IA) and State Competitions in Illinois and Washington, Western Illinois University Concerto Competition Winner, Seattle Civic Opera Guild Helen Jensen Award, The City Opera Company Young Opera Singers Competition, Pafe (Performing Arts Festival Eastside) Classical and Musical Theatre Overall Excellence in Voice.
Rachel has also served in various capacities as administer, producer, and director of non-profits and post secondary educational institutions.
Reviews
“Rarely have I come across as talented and noteworthy a person as Rachel DeShon… Her talent, coupled with her desire to learn, and her stick-to-itiveness are all unusual assets. Above all this, I found Rachel to be a delight to work with.” – Marvin Hamlisch
“The Soprano Rachel DeShon is described as ‘Seattle’s Littlest Diva’ and her singing voice is undeniably fantastic.” Examiner.com, Seattle Fine Arts Examiner – Steve Clare
“Captivating” – Seattle Magazine – Michelle LaFrance
“A local standout (with global appeal and star power) is Rachel DeShon… delivers both light and comedy and a powerful operatic aria with show-stopping appeal.” Seattle’s 24x7 – Larry Sivitz
“Seattle’s own opera singer Rachel DeShon shocked with a powerful voice that, coming from a pint-sized body, seemed humanly impossible.” – Seattle Weekly – John Longenbaugh
“Spectacular” – San Francisco Examiner – Cindy Warner
“Seattle opera singer, Rachel DeShon, moved us with her lovely, powerful and expressive voice, singing throughout the show and adding a creative classical dimension to the action. Her emtotional redition of “Chi bel sogno di Doretta… moved me to tears.” SGN A&E Writer – E. Joyce Glasgow
“I was absolutely blown away by Rachel DeShon’s operatic arias.” – Queen Anne View – Grace Betz
“Seattle native Rachel DeShon as a saucy soubrette whose soprano stylings evoke the best of Julie Andrews, particularly in a highly comic rendition of “The Lonely Goatherd” from The Sound of Music.”
– Theater Mania – Robert Sokol
“Seattle-based opera singer Rachel DeShon… performed an aria … – each note impeccable clean, clear, and high.” Seattle Post-Intelliger – Stacey Levine
“Classical vocalist Rachel DeShon, bedecked in feathers, flaunted her lyric soprano chops in an exquisite rendition of Puccini’s popular aria from La Rondine (The Swallow), 'Ch’il bel sogno di Doretta'.”
– San Francisco Sentinel – Seán Martinfield
“Rachel DeShon, the golden-voiced coloratura soprano-bird-in-the-gilded-cage, soars”
– San Francisco Bay Times – Mike Ward
“Your performance was one of the greatest moments in show business I've ever seen. Bravo!”
Performer – Mark Stevens
