Mary Punshon, Soprano
Mary Punshon, soprano, loves to perform all forms of musical theater. A devotee of all types of operetta, she is a frequent performer with The Concert Operetta Theater of The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Last summer she appeared with that group as Masha in The Chocolate Soldier at The Music Pier in Ocean City, NJ with The Ocean City Pops . Ed Wismer, critic for The Ocean City Sentinel in his review wrote, "The three women ... were marvelous together in a series of trios and when singing alone." Click here to see Mary Punshon in the Chocolate Soldier on Youtube. Other roles with COT include Manja in Countess Maritza, Olga in The Merry Widow, and Princess Margaret in The Student Prince.

Mary is a member of all the Philadelphia area Gilbert and Sullivan groups and has portrayed 13 different Gilbert and Sullivan roles. Among her favorites are Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, the title role in Iolanthe, and both Phoebe and Elsie in The Yeomen of the Guard. Ryan Bunch writing for Stage Magazine Online reported "Punshon is in a class by herself—an accomplished classical singer and a wonderful actor, she is the consummate artist in the role of Elsie." Mary also recently appeared at the Gettysburg International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival as Amanda in The Carp.

Her light opera roles also include Lalume in Kismet, Bertha in The Red Mill, and The Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music.

A founding member of the Main Line Opera Guild, she portrayed Saffi in the Guild’s production of The Gypsy Baron. Other favorite opera roles include Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana and Ceneretola in the opera of the same name. Mary will be performing the role of Aero in a world premier on September 11 and 12 of an original opera, Sephro, written by local Philadelphia composer Kate Quinn at the Philadelphia Live Arts and Philly Fringe Festival at the Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Ms. Punshon holds a Bachelor of Music with a major in Voice Performance from Kansas University and currently studies with Kathryna Barone at the Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music. She is also the soloist at the Lower Merion Baptist Church.