Praised for her “sparkle and humor, radiance and magnetism” and hailed for “a voice equally velvety up and down the registers”, soprano is widely regarded as an artist of great versatility, with repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. She has collaborated with many of the leading figures in early music, including Andrew Lawrence King, Julianne Baird, Tempeste di Mare, The King’s Noyse, Paul O’Dette, Chatham Baroque, Apollo’s Fire, The New York Collegium, The Publick Musick, Brandywine Baroque, Trinity Consort, and Piffaro – The Renaissance Band, a group with whom she has toured the United States. Additionally, Ms. Heimes is a member of Fuma Sacra, the early music vocal ensemble-in-residence at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. She has been heard at the Boston, Connecticut and Indianapolis Early Music Festivals, at the Oregon and Philadelphia Bach Festivals under the baton of Helmuth Rilling, at the Carmel Bach Festival under Bruno Weil, and in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil in concerts of Bach and Handel. With the Philadelphia Orchestra she appeared as Mrs. Nordstrom in Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. December 2003 marked her Carnegie Hall debut in Handel’s Messiah with the Masterwork Chorus.
Highlights of the 2008-09 season will include a program of Bach with Voices of Music (Palo Alto, Berkeley, San Francisco, CA), Scarlatti’s Su le sponde del Tebro and Seven Arias for Soprano and Trumpet (Wilmington, Lewes, DE), Mozart Requiem and the modern day premiere of Franz Xaver Richter’s Missa Hyemalis with the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys and Sinfonia New York (NYC, NY), Handel Gloria and music from the London Pleasure Gardens with The Riverside Symphony (NYC, NY), Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Choral Art Society of Philadelphia and with reconstruction at the Indianapolis Early Music Festival. With Pegasus Early Music (Rochester, NY) she will sing two programs; The Three Ladies and Dryden in Music; the latter in collaboration with the University of Rochester’s Humanities Project. With the Dryden Ensemble (Princeton, NJ) she will sing the role of Daphe in Handel’s Apollo and Daphne ; with Tempesta di Mare (Philadelphia, PA) the role of Galetea in Handel’s Aci, Galatea e Polifemo; with Brandywine Baroque (Wilmington, DE) the role of Stratonica in Stadella’s La forza dell’amor paterno and with Magnificat (Palm Desert, CA) the role of Despina in his Il Trespulo Tutore.
An advocate of contemporary music, she will sing the role of Irene Adler in the premiere of Thomas Whitman’s new opera “A Scandal in Bohemia” with Orchestra 2001 (Swarthmore College and The Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA). With The Avian Ensemble (NYC, NY) she will participate in a program containing the works of Peter Flint, Conrad Cummings, Raymond Lustig and Corey Dargel.
Ms. Heimes’ most recent recordings include Oh! the Sweet Delights of Love: the songs of Purcell with Brandywine Baroque; The Lass with the Delicate Air: English Songs from the London Pleasure Gardens; Handel Duets and Trios (December 2008 release); The Jane Austen Songbook with Julianne Baird; and Caldara’s Il Giuoco del Quadriglio with Julianne Baird and the Queen’s Chamber Band conducted by Stephen Altop.
A native of Rochester NY, she holds Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance from Temple University. Ms. Heimes has recorded for Dorian, Pro Gloria Musicae, Plectra Music, Sonabilis, and Albany records.