Home

Carla Wood

Guestbook

In Loving Memory!

July 13, 2005

Carla Wood

Obituary

For Immediate Release

 

Obituary: Carla Wood, a.k.a. CJ
Williamson, Mezzo-Soprano and Ed.-in-Chief, Classical Singer magazine

 

Draper, UT - July 14, 2005 - Mezzo-Soprano and champion of singers Carla Wood, 50, also known as C.J. Williamson, passed away yesterday after a battle with cancer. She will long be remembered for her sensitive and warm mezzo voice and her founding role as Editor-in-chief of Classical Singer magazine.

 

Ms. Wood's work as a singer carried her to New York City Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and many regional houses. Her work at New York City Opera included such roles as Meg Page in Falstaff and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro. She sang Flora in Renata Scotto's Emmy Award winning "Live from Lincoln Center" telecast of La traviata. She made her debuts at Utah Opera, El Paso and Seattle Opera singing Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and her San Diego debut as Meg Page in Falstaff.

 

In 2003, her last season before retiring, Ms. Wood sang the role of the old Shepherdess in Janácek's Jenufa at the Metropolitan Opera, and performed Mozart's c minor mass with the Fort Myer's Symphony. Previous to this, she joined the Met's roster covering roles such as Javotte in Manon and the Lady Comme-ci-comme-ca in Prokovief's The Gambler. Ms. Wood sang at Carnegie Hall with Opera Orchestra of New York as Roggiero in Tancredi, Teresa in La Sonnambula, Queen Enrichetta in I Puritani, Maddalena and Pierotto in Linda di Chamounix, Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Imelda in Verdi's La Battaglia di Legnano. She was the featured soloist on the world premiere recording of the Villa Lobos Symphony #10 with the Santa Barbara Symphony.

 

As a young singer in New York City, frustrated at the lack of career information available to singers, Ms. Wood began the New York Opera Newsletter in 1988. On advice from her manager, she used her maiden name, CJ (Carla Jean) Williamson, as a pen name. Due to Ms. Wood's inspired vision and pulse on the classical singing world, in just 10 years the newsletter expanded beyond a New York City audience and became the national publication Classical Singer magazine.

 

While Ms. Wood might have viewed fellow singers as competition, instead she saw them as colleagues and set out to help them succeed. As one singer and friend said of her, "Using [her] as the example, I try to uplift a singer everyday for when one falls, we all fall. Because of [her] example, I know that vocal music can change lives".

 

During 18 years as Editor-in-chief Ms. Wood made a dramatic impact on the profession of classical singing. Her deep commitment to helping singers succeed, coupled with her creativity, courage, and drive led to an international publication with over 6000 readers in 50 states and 25 countries. Always brainstorming for new and better ways to help singers, Ms. Wood began a first ever Classical Singer Convention in 2004 and College Expo for university vocal programs and prospective students in 2005, both now annual events.

 

Her humor, wit, and graciousness—hallmarks of this great woman—were present to the end. She kept nurses, family, and friends laughing and lifted the spirits of those who came to lift hers. She will be sorely missed as she begins (in her own words) "the next great adventure."

 

Ms. Wood is survived by her husband, David D. Wood, and two children, David (NJ) and Lindsey. A viewing will be held Sunday, July 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Larkin Sunset Gardens Funeral Home located at 1950 East 10600 So in Sandy, Utah. Funeral proceedings are scheduled for Monday, July 18 at 11:00 AM at the LDS Stake Center located at 2450 West 10400 South in South Jordan, Utah. Friends may come at 10 AM. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Carla Wood Vocal Scholarship c/o Brigham Young University. The Carla Wood Vocal Scholarship is being created to provide full tuition assistance to a vocal performance major at BYU. More information on the scholarship will be available soon.

###

About Classical Singer magazine: Classical Singer magazine provides information for a classical singer's career, support for a singer's life, and englightenment for a singer's art. It began in 1988 as the New York Opera Newsletter. For years it provided in-depth insights about the New York opera scene to its subscribers. Interest in the newsletter grew rapidly and the demand for more information by opera and classical singers from around the world stimulated a transformation and Classical Singer magazine was born. Now an international publication with 6000 readers, each monthly issue contains practical trade related articles for singers and over 30 pages of audition and competition listings. Classical Singer is published in Draper UT. For more information visit www.classicalsinger.com.

 

 

Note: Photo available upon request.

Contact: David Wood or Sara Thomas at (801) 254-1025

 

View All Messages »

Random Entries


...To Carla: You truly left the world a better place than when you arrived. I am thankful that you lived. Tony Pavao ...

...My prayers go out to the family and friends of Mrs. Wood. I agree it is a sad day, and she will be missed. I never had the pleasure of meeting her in person but I am a fellow singer and subscriber to the magazine. I have loved being a part of the Classical Singer Community and found it to be very helpful to me and my career. From reading her editorials and seeing all the great work she put into the magazine, I know she must have been a remarkable person. I will miss her wonderful and helpful insight into the business. As we continue her legacy, may she find peace and sing with the angels!...

...CJ's passing was a personal lost. Oddly enough we only knew eachother online. CJ was a valued member of Goonlore, a group of international artists who discuss singing issues. Her insightful comments have been missed, and her incredibly positive nature shone brightly even through cyberspace. My deepest regret is that we never got to meet face to face. I wanted to write this quite a while ago, but All Soul's Day seemed appropriate. Thank you CJ for your inspired time with us. Jean-Ronald LaFond...

...My deepest condolences to you, and especially to my fellow singers for it is we who will miss her the most. She did so much for us, she taught us to network to advance our singing, her encouragement was invaluable through the years. I was one of the earliest subscribers, having subscribed when it first started out as "THe New York Opera Newsletter" and watched it grow to a national magazine under her guidance and love. She remembered us all--no one was more surprised than I when after a four-year hiatus from singing after a bad accident in 2000, I responded to an email she sent and she wrote back a personal response "Ralph! Where have you been! David and I have been talking wondering about you." I proceeded to tell her about my accident and that I was now in the process of trying to climb back into the music world but had to start all over to get back in vocal shape. She wrote me encouragement and advice and I was hoping to be able to meet her in person at the next Convention and now I see I never shall. Life is so short. But I will always remember you, CJ, as a mentor and will miss you sorely. No more emails will come from CJ Williamson. Her loss is ours and the loss of the whole opera world for she is one who truly loved her craft and all of its artists. Rest in peace, CJ. We miss and love you and will strive to continue what you started. Ralph...

...Dear Carla-- we'll miss you. You always were a delightful person, with a wry sense of humor and a terrific coloratura! I'll always remember you fondly from the early days in New York in Joan's circle to the beginnings of Classical Singer! May the wonderful things you started continue to grow and flourish and carry with them the memory of you. My heartfelt sympathy to your family and to the larger family at CS. Best, SM...

Copyright © 2000-2012 Classical Singer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.