Janet Wheeler was born in Belmont Massachusetts on May 14, 1924. She graduated from The Eastman School of Music in 1946 with a B.A. in voice, and received her Master’s Degree from New England Conservatory. While in Boston she studied with Maria Sundelius and Olga Averino. In 1950 she married organist and conductor, Dr. Sam Walter. She was a soloist at Trinity Church, Boston and a finalist in The Metropolitan Opera Auditions.
In 1955 she moved to New York City, where she studied with Jennie Tourel at The Juilliard School of Music, and was the soprano soloist at The Church of The Resurrection. While in N.Y.C. she sang several performances of The St. John Passion of Bach; and the complete operatic roles of: Lucy in Menotti’s The Telophone; Mimi in Puccini’s La bohème; Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and The Countess in Le nozze di Figaro. She also won competition that resulted in a Town Hall Recital.
In 1966, she moved to New Jersey as Dr. Walter began teaching at Douglass College of Rutgers University. During this period, Ms. Wheeler taught at Trenton State Teacher’s College in Trenton. She also taught voice and opera at Bard College in Annandale, New York. There she co-ran the opera department with theatrical director, William Driver. They would perform the works as plays as well as operas and would mix up the castings: for example in The Marriage of Figaro the actress who played Susannah would sing The Countess, and visa versa; and the actor who played Figaro would sing The Count, and visa versa. Together they produced an enormous number of opera/plays from all periods: including; Berg’s Wozzeck; Monteverdi’s L’inconronazione di Poppea; and Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov.
Ms. Wheeler is featured on the following recordings:
Ur 8018: Buxtehude 250th Anniversary Program: The Cantata Singers and Orchestra with: Helen Boatwright and Janet Wheeler, sopranos; Russell Oberlin, counter-tenor; Charles Bressler, tenor; Paul Matthen, Bass; John Strauss, organ; and Alfred Mann, conductor.
NWCR843 The Music of Rolv Yttrehus – New World Records Angstwagen for soprano and percussion (1971) . (5:06) Janet Wheeler, soprano; Gordon Gottlieb, and Daniel Druckman, percussion; Rolv Yttrehus, conductor. (see RECORDINGS).
And with The Telemann Society: Amphion CL2113 Handel: Italian Cantatas (1962): Janet Wheeler and Eileen Laurence, sopranos; Frances Pavlides, contralto; Dorothy Walters, harpsichord; and Theodora Schulze, director. (Soon to be added to the website.)
Vox PL14.000 Heritage of The Barogue: featuring: The Coffee Cantata by Nicolas Bernier: Janet Wheeler, soprano; Harold Kohon, violin; Dorothy Walters, Harpsichord. (Soon to be added to the website.)
Vox STDL 500.760 Stereo The Telemann Society Chorus and Orchestra with Janet Wheeler, soprano, Richard Schultze, conductor: Handel: Laudate Pueri Dominus Psalm 133 (Soon to be added to the website.); also included is Paratum cor meum by Heinrich Schütz This record was been remastered by Mike Burke in 2016 (see RECORDINGS).
Note: Many more recordings will be presented on this site in the coming days, months and years. Mike Burke and I have already re-mastered the 20 minute Handel solo cantata Laudate Pueri Dominus. The reason that re-mastering is necessary was summed up by Janet's own objection: "It doesn't sound like me!" I agree with her... it didn't. However, due to recent developments in sound engineering, we were able to greatly improve the recordings and get them to sound very much like the wonderful velvet tone that so many of you remember. Records and reel-to- reel recordings also need to be professionally washed before the re-mastering is done. Other recordings will follow: reel-to-reel and cassette tapes, as well as all of the recordings listed above (except the first one, which is primarily an ensemble recording.) There will be duets with Charlotte Regni Lord, Arthur Burrows, and performances of The Saint John Passion of Bach, and much more. I will update you on our progress.
In 1955 she moved to New York City, where she studied with Jennie Tourel at The Juilliard School of Music, and was the soprano soloist at The Church of The Resurrection. While in N.Y.C. she sang several performances of The St. John Passion of Bach; and the complete operatic roles of: Lucy in Menotti’s The Telophone; Mimi in Puccini’s La bohème; Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and The Countess in Le nozze di Figaro. She also won competition that resulted in a Town Hall Recital.
In 1966, she moved to New Jersey as Dr. Walter began teaching at Douglass College of Rutgers University. During this period, Ms. Wheeler taught at Trenton State Teacher’s College in Trenton. She also taught voice and opera at Bard College in Annandale, New York. There she co-ran the opera department with theatrical director, William Driver. They would perform the works as plays as well as operas and would mix up the castings: for example in The Marriage of Figaro the actress who played Susannah would sing The Countess, and visa versa; and the actor who played Figaro would sing The Count, and visa versa. Together they produced an enormous number of opera/plays from all periods: including; Berg’s Wozzeck; Monteverdi’s L’inconronazione di Poppea; and Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov.
Ms. Wheeler is featured on the following recordings:
Ur 8018: Buxtehude 250th Anniversary Program: The Cantata Singers and Orchestra with: Helen Boatwright and Janet Wheeler, sopranos; Russell Oberlin, counter-tenor; Charles Bressler, tenor; Paul Matthen, Bass; John Strauss, organ; and Alfred Mann, conductor.
NWCR843 The Music of Rolv Yttrehus – New World Records Angstwagen for soprano and percussion (1971) . (5:06) Janet Wheeler, soprano; Gordon Gottlieb, and Daniel Druckman, percussion; Rolv Yttrehus, conductor. (see RECORDINGS).
And with The Telemann Society: Amphion CL2113 Handel: Italian Cantatas (1962): Janet Wheeler and Eileen Laurence, sopranos; Frances Pavlides, contralto; Dorothy Walters, harpsichord; and Theodora Schulze, director. (Soon to be added to the website.)
Vox PL14.000 Heritage of The Barogue: featuring: The Coffee Cantata by Nicolas Bernier: Janet Wheeler, soprano; Harold Kohon, violin; Dorothy Walters, Harpsichord. (Soon to be added to the website.)
Vox STDL 500.760 Stereo The Telemann Society Chorus and Orchestra with Janet Wheeler, soprano, Richard Schultze, conductor: Handel: Laudate Pueri Dominus Psalm 133 (Soon to be added to the website.); also included is Paratum cor meum by Heinrich Schütz This record was been remastered by Mike Burke in 2016 (see RECORDINGS).
Note: Many more recordings will be presented on this site in the coming days, months and years. Mike Burke and I have already re-mastered the 20 minute Handel solo cantata Laudate Pueri Dominus. The reason that re-mastering is necessary was summed up by Janet's own objection: "It doesn't sound like me!" I agree with her... it didn't. However, due to recent developments in sound engineering, we were able to greatly improve the recordings and get them to sound very much like the wonderful velvet tone that so many of you remember. Records and reel-to- reel recordings also need to be professionally washed before the re-mastering is done. Other recordings will follow: reel-to-reel and cassette tapes, as well as all of the recordings listed above (except the first one, which is primarily an ensemble recording.) There will be duets with Charlotte Regni Lord, Arthur Burrows, and performances of The Saint John Passion of Bach, and much more. I will update you on our progress.