What makes an incredible vocal performance even more remarkable? Knowing it’s the artist’s first time back on stage just seven weeks after giving birth by C-section, with her husband and newborn son cheering her on from the wings. That was the inspiring reality at the recent Matinée Musicale Cincinnati recital featuring mezzo-soprano Megan Moore. For those of us in the Queen City, it’s always a special thrill to see a local talent shine, and Moore, a graduate of Lakota West High School and a 2012 alumna of Miami University, delivered a performance of immense strength and artistry.
The recital was a testament to Moore’s versatility and her artistic mission. She has expressed a love for showcasing the voices of women and sharing music that isn’t as often heard, a passion that was clearly fostered during her time at Miami. This commitment goes beyond just her programming choices. In 2015, she co-founded the Lynx Project, an initiative dedicated to building community through song. A core part of this work is their Autism Advocacy Series, which commissions new art songs using texts written by children with non-verbal autism, creating a powerful platform for voices that are truly underheard.
You can view the full program on the Matinée Musicale Cincinnati website.
The Program: A Singer’s Tour
True to her mission, the program opened with pieces by Undine Smith Moore and 17th-century composer Barbara Strozzi, whose dramatic cantata L’eraclito amoroso is a fantastic piece of early baroque music. I loved Moore’s execution of the Strozzi piece, with its haunting melody. This secular cantata seems to welcome tears as a companion, finding a strange comfort in perpetual sorrow. This emotional complexity was characteristic of Strozzi’s works.
Next, we heard a selection of French mélodies by Cécile Chaminade. Her Malgré nous and the fiery Sombrero are both wonderful character pieces.
The first half closed with Sergei Prokofiev’s powerful Five Poems of Anna Akhmatova, Op. 27.
Following the intermission, the program moved to lieder by Robert Schumann. The selections included the iconic Widmung, the introspective Ich wandelte unter den Bäumen, the passionate Er, der Herrlichste von allen, and the sublime Mondnacht.
From Germany, we journeyed north to Finland with the music of Jean Sibelius.
The program concluded with a modern touch: Crossing Borders by the celebrated American composer Jake Heggie. Crossing Borders is a new song cycle by Jake Heggie, one of America’s most celebrated living composers, with a libretto by Gene Scheer, premiered in April 2025 by mezzo-soprano Megan Moore and pianist Francesco Barfoed. A YouTube of the premier appears below.
The work is based on the wartime diary of Nora London (née Schapiro), a Jewish teenager who fled Paris with her family in 1940. Nora escaped Nazi-occupied France, moving through Portugal, and finally arriving in New York. The diary, locked away and undiscovered until Nora’s death in 2022, documents her internal struggles and hopes during this harrowing journey, making it a deeply personal and historically resonant narrative for the song cycle.
A True Partnership: The Art of Collaboration
A recital of this caliber is a dialogue, and the conversation between Moore and pianist Francesco Barfoed was breathtaking. Hailed for his “fertile imagination” by New York Classical, Barfoed was far more than an accompanist; he was a co-storyteller. His playing, described by Seen and Heard International as having “silky movements across the keys,” provided a rich foundation that supported and enhanced each emotional turn of the program. Moore’s and Barfoed’s musical synergy was impressive to witness throughout the recital.
A Star on the Rise
Moore was honored by her alma mater as one of the “18 of the Last 9“ distinguished young alumni, and her career continues to ascend. With a recent Boston Baroque debut and an upcoming company debut at New Orleans Opera as Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier for the 2025-26 season, she has already graced stages from The Juilliard School to the Metropolitan Opera.
It was a privilege to witness Megan Moore’s artistry here at home. Moore’s program beautifully spanned composers from the Baroque era to living voices. Her performance was a beautiful reminder not only of the power of song and the incredible talent nurtured in Cincinnati but also of the profound strength and dedication of artists who are also mothers and passionate advocates for their communities. We look forward to following her impressive career for years to come.
Cincinnati Memorial Hall Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030), CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HamiltonCountyMemorial.jpg)
Image of Megan Moore by Shervin Lainez via Megan Moore website at https://www.meganmooremezzo.com/potraits