About

Mezzo soprano Kara Dugan has been praised by The New York Times for her “vocal warmth
and rich character.” Her versatile career ranges from oratorio to world premieres. She made her Kennedy Center debut with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting his piece Four Preludes on Playthings of the Wind with the National Symphony Orchestra. Her work with living composers also includes In a New York Minute: Miniatures for Voice and Piano, a newly commissioned song cycle with WQXR comprised of 5 one-minute songs by women composers and poets highlighting some of the joys and challenges faced by New Yorkers during the pandemic. Additional work with living composers includes her debut with the Albany Symphony singing This Land Sings by Michael Daugherty, and performances in the roles of Amadora/Stelladora in John Musto's opera Bastianello for Festival Napa Valley. She can also be heard as a guest host on WQXR.

A passionate recitalist and chamber musician, she often performs with her husband, pianist
Peter Dugan. Last season they were presented by New York Festival of Song, Boston’s Isabella
Stewart Gardner Museum, Portland Chamber Music Festival, Emerald City Music, and WQXR’s
Greene Space. They have also been featured performers on PBS Great Performances “Now
Hear This,” and performed as part of the Wigmore Hall’s Bollinger International Song Competition. 

Recent awards include first prize in the Rochester International Vocal Competition, Regional finalist of the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont competition, a finalist prizes with the James Toland
Vocal Arts competition, and in 2021 she was named a member of WQXR’s Inaugural Artist
Propulsion Lab. Ms. Dugan has sung with the San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia
Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Marlboro
Music Festival, Ravinia Steans Institute, Boston Early Music Festival, North Country Chamber Players, Wolf Trap Opera, Alice Tully Hall, and Aspen Music Festival. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School.