Judith Nelson


Judith Anne Nelson, née Manes was an American soprano, noted for her performances of baroque music at the beginning of the "early music revival" of the 1970s and 1980s.
Nelson was born in Evanston, Illinois. She graduated with a degree in music from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota in 1961. On August 5 of the same year she married Alan H. Nelson, with whom she moved to Berkeley, California.
In Paris, Nelson joined the Five Centuries Ensemble, then in 1976 she was a founding member, with William Christie, and Wieland Kuijken, of René Jacobs' Concerto Vocale, the chamber music ensemble which preceded Christie's own Les Arts Florissants in 1979. She also performed with Christopher Hogwood’s Academy of Ancient Music, and Anthony Rooley's Consort of Musicke - in soprano duets together with Emma Kirkby. Later she was one of the founding members of Nicholas McGegan's San Francisco-based Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, specialising in Handel and Purcell.
In opera she made her debut in Brussels in 1979, in Monteverdi’s L'incoronazione di Poppea under Alan Curtis. She was soprano for Christopher Hogwood's landmark January 1982 recording of Handel's Messiah, recorded in Westminster Abbey and videotaped by the BBC.
Nelson died, aged 72, in Albany, California.

Selected discography


Assumpta est Maria, Missa sex vocibus H.11, Dialogus inter Christum et peccatores H.425, Judith Nelson, Colette Alliot-Lugaz, John York-Skinner, Michael Goldthorpe, Richard Jackson, Erian Rayner, English Bach Festival Chorus, English Bach Fesival Baroque Orchestra. LP Erato STU 71281 -.
3 Leçons de Ténèbres du Mercredy Sainct, H.96, H.97, H.98, 3 Répons du Mercrediy Sainct, H.111, H.112, H.113, 3 Leçons de Ténèbres du Jeudy Sainct, H.102, H.103, H.109, Concerto Vocale, René Jacobs, haute-contre, Judith Nelson, soprano, Anne Verkinderen, soprano, William Christie, clavecin et orgue, Konrad Junghänel, théorbe, Wieland Kuijken, Adelheid Glatt, basse de viole 3 LP Harmonia Mundi HM 1005/6/7.
3 Leçons de Ténèbres du Vendredy Sainct, H.105, H.106, H.110, 6 Répons du Mercredy Sainct. H.114.H.115, H.116, H.117, H.118, H.119, Concerto Vocale, René Jacobs, haute-contre, Judith Nelson, soprano, Anne Verkinderen, soprano, William Christie, clavecin et orgue, Konrad Junghänel, théorbe, Wieland Kuijken, Adelheid Glatt, basse de viole. 2 LP Harmonia Mundi HM 1008/09.
Report in 3 CD, 3 Leçons de ténèbres du Mercredi Sainct, H.96, H.97, H.98 et 3 Répons du Mercredi Sainct, H.111, H.112, H.113, - 3 Leçons de ténèbres du Jeudy Sainct, H.102, H.103, H.109 - 3 Leçons de ténèbres du Vendredy Sainct, H.105, H.106, H.110.
Motets à voix seule et à 2 voix,, Concerto vocale, René Jacobs, alto, Judith Nelson, soprano, William Christie, orgue, Konrad Junghänel, théorbe, Jaap ter Linden, violoncelle, Trix Landolf, Kathrin Bopp, violon- 1 CD - Harmonia Mundi.