Biography

Frances Fenton, a native of Texas, has sung leading, featured and supporting roles with the Zürich Opera, the Frankfurt Opera, Opera Mobile (UK, Zürich), the San Antonio Festival, Houston Grand Opera, Central City Colorado Opera, and Opera Classics of New Jersey, among others.

A much-requested soloist in concert and oratorio performances, she has performed with orchestras throughout the world, including the Akademisches Orchester (Zürich), the Rundfunkorchester des Hessischen Rundfunks (Frankfurt), the Südwestrundfunkorchester (Baden-Baden & Karlsruhe), the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Orquestra do Estado do São Paulo, the Pilsener Jugendorchester, the Thalwil Kammerorchester, the Houston Chamber Orchestra, the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra (Texas and Mexico), and the Bay Area Chorus and Orchestra.

Miss Fenton has been televised in four continents, singing as a guest artist on Hessischer Rundfunk 3 Germany, on Südwestrundfunk Germany, on TRT International broadcast from Turkey, on Rede Televisão Cultura Brazil, on AFN Europe, and on “Voice of America: Radio Broadcasts to Europe and South America”. She has also appeared on Public Broadcasting in the U.S., as well as KUHT in Texas. All her most recent appearances have been either televised live or recorded for later broadcasts and archives.

As a recitalist, Miss Fenton’s appearances include a Liederabend at the Alte Oper in celebration of the 1200th Birthday of the City of Frankfurt, where she was the only American invited to perform. Miss Fenton has also performed in several chamber music concerts at the Frankfurt Opera, and at Amerika Haus, where she is included in a book listing distinguished performers from its 50-year history. Miss Fenton performed in recital at the Palmengarten. In one of her first engagements, Miss Fenton was asked to inaugurate the Central City Opera Recital Series. Recently, she has also been broadcast live from the Moores Opera House and the Houston Public Library. Miss Fenton gives concerts regularly in Vienna and Frankfurt, including benefit concerts for the National and University Library of Sarajevo and for the victims of the Turkish earthquake, sponsored by UNICEF. With a live television performance, Miss Fenton sang the first concert in the year-long celebration of the First German Parliament in the Paulskirche, at the invitation of the Chancellor of Germany.

Miss Fenton has sung world premiere performances of works by John Cook, Richard Hundley, Henry Mollicone, John David Earnest, and European and Asian premieres of works by Philip Glass and John Corgliano  She is a singer of choice of the American composers John David Earnest and Richard Hundley and has sung American premiers of chamber works by Donald Joyce and Sanchie Bobrow.  Houston composers who works she has premiered include Adam Vincent Clay, Shawn head, Joe Lo Cascio, Allyson Applebaum Wells, and Stephen Yip.  These composers have written works specifically for her.

Miss Fenton has also appeared in Frankfurt’s Mousonturm and toured as “The Voice” in Helena Waldmann’s Circuit. She was invited to perform this role at the Copenhagen International Theatre Festival. During her studies, Miss Fenton also appeared at Theater Under the Stars.  Her performances have taken her to cities such as Amsterdam, Ankara, Denver, Glasgow, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York City, Paris, Prague, Rio de Janiero, Vienna, São Paulo, as well as cities throughout Germany. One year, she was invited to sing three different Liederabends in Frankfurt alone.  Thus far, she has sung in 26 countries.  Miss Fenton is a frequently-requested performer for the U.S. State Department and has also given benefit performances for UNICEF.

As well as perforing, she teaches at Houston Community College, maintaining an active private studio which includes regional and local competition winners, major scholarship winners and popular recording artists.   She is also a requested adjudicator at vocal competitions throughout the U.S. and a former adjudicator in Germany. 

Miss Fenton is the Founder and Artistic Director SOUND LEGACIES, a nonprofit dedicated to the presentation of intergenerational concerts, building a community of musicians and creating a diversified audience.