With a voice described as “voluptuous” and “beautifully clean and radiant,” mezzo-soprano Jennifer Luiken transitions easily between many genres and styles. She has performed throughout the United States, and internationally in England, Scotland, Germany, Bulgaria, Austria, Catalunya and Italy, and was the mezzo-soprano soloist for the European Premiere of Bradley Ellingboe’s Requiem in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. She is a frequent recitalist and performer of both art song and chamber works for voice and instruments and has been selected numerous times for the Spotlight Concert Series on the Piccolo Spoleto Festival as well as the “Sunset Serenade,” the opening concert of the festival. Having made multiple appearances with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and other regional orchestras, her orchestral and concert repertoire includes Verdi’s Requiem; Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”; Alexander Nevsky; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; Dvořak’s Requiem and Stabat Mater; Mozart’s Requiem; Bernstein’s Jeremiah and Kaddish Symphonies; Handel’s Messiah; Mendelssohn’s Elijah; Bach’s St. John Passion and Aaron Copland’s In the Beginning.

Known also for her convincing acting skills in both comedic and dramatic roles, Miss Luiken’s operatic credits include the Old Lady in Candide, Madame Flora in The Medium, Katisha in Mikado, the title role in The Rape of Lucretia, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Principessa in Suor Angelica, Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Maddalena in Rigoletto, the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas, and Third Lady in The Magic Flute. She has been a state winner and regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera auditions and second runner-up in the Mid-Atlantic region of NATSAA.

A native of Iowa, Miss Luiken received her Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the University of Northern Iowa, and her Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal performance from the University of South Carolina. Jennifer is on the voice faculty of the Horton School of Music at Charleston Southern University where she teaches studio voice and other vocal performance related classes and is director of Lyric Theatre. Her students have achieved success in national competitions and perform regularly in recital and stage productions and have pursued professional careers in performance and music education.

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