Biography

Madelyn Brené Fortner is a versatile singer and actress who developed a passion for the arts at the age of three years old.  During her childhood, she studied and performed with the Dallas Children’s Theatre; Taylor’s School of Music, Mary Lois Dance Academy and won various oratorical and vocal competitions throughout the state of Texas.   Since then she has continued to capture the hearts and intrigue audiences everywhere through singing, dancing and acting. Her repertoire includes opera, jazz, musical theatre and oratorio.   She has performed various roles in the U.S .and European cities.  Recently, she was selected as one of the eight singers  to perform with  Tony Award winnder Karen Ziemba and acclaimed actor /singer Ron Raines at the Myerson Symphony Center  with the Metropolitian Wind Symphony.  she opened up for Tony/ Grammy Award winner Jennifer Holiday at the 2010 Women that Soar Awards Ceremony in Dallas, TX.  She has also performed the role of Marie Laveu at Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Dallas and the role of Henriette in Theresa Rebeck’s musical Two Orphans with the SMU Opera theatre.  Ms. Fortner was featured in the chorus of the 2008 production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess with the Dallas Opera.  Madelyn has sung the role of 2nd Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflote at the Almafi Coast Music Festival in Naples, Italy and has portrayed the roles of Yvette in scenes from Puccini’s La Rondine and Carla in scenes from Maury Yeston’s Nine at the Vocal Arts Symposium in Colorado Springs, Co.   While studying at Xavier University in New Orleans, La she performed the role of Lutiebelle in Ossie Davis’s Purlie but upon the devastations of hurricane Katrina, she continued her studies at Southern Methodist University where she was featured in many scenes as Huddle in Fiddler on the Roof, Clara in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and the chorus of Mozart’s Cosi Fan tutte.  She also appeared as Anna in the World Premiere of Simon Sargon’s Story of Repunzel.   She has received numerous awards and honors including the Bruce Foote scholarship award, Pilgrim Rest Scholar Award and the Shivers Foundation award.

Ms. Fortner has studied with renowned teachers Nancy Elledge, Joan Heller, Barbara Hill- Moore, Earline Vincent, G. A. Clay and piano with Dr. Thelma Franklin Merrick.   She is graduate of Southern Methodist University.