alto

a singer whose voice lies in the alto clef the lowest female singing voice the highest adult male singing voice (of a musical instrument) the second highest instrument in a family of musical instruments the pitch range of the lowest female voice of or being the lowest female voice of or being the highest male voice

having a range above that of tenor (of a musical instrument) second highest member of a group

"alto clarinet or recorder"

Vocal range In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the deepest female singing voice, or the highest male voice. A typical alto will have a range from around the F below middle C to the D a ninth above middle C (i.e. F3-D5); at the bottom of their range, altos sound almost like tenors. Some altos have even larger ranges; from the C below middle C to the C two octaves above (C3-C6 if middle C is C4). In four part Choirchoral harmony, the alto is the second highest voice. Altos originally sang from music written in the alto clef, but now use the treble clef.Although both men and women may have voices in the alto range, the word is usually used to mean a female singer. However, choirs singing early music frequently include adult male altos, also called countertenors. In English church usage, the term ''alto'' is sometimes exclusively used to mean a boy with this range, while ''contralto'' is used for a female singer. However, this is not done consistently, and for most practical purposes, ''alto'' and ''contralto'' can be thought of as synonyms (the phrase "boy alto" can be used if there is a chance of misunderstanding). A few popular music enthusiasts define the contralto and alto separately, as the contralto having an especially dark range, from the D above low C to Tenor C, which is essentially a female of tenor range, while alto is a voice with a range from F below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C, and is closer to the mezzo-soprano. The majority however define contralto and alto as synonyms, and assign the adjectives light and dark, with a dark alto being a female of tenor range, while a light alto, commonly referred to as simply alto, to include mezzo-sopranos as well.In medieval polyphony the principal voice was the tenor. When additional voices were added, they were called ''contratenor'', "against the tenor." When two such voices were added they were called ''contratenor alto'' and ''contratenor bassus'', indicating ''high'' and ''low'' respectively. So ''alto'' essentially means ''high voice''.Contraltos are fairly rare in opera (and in general), since there is very little work that was written specifically for them. Most of the time, contralto roles are limited to maids, mothers and grandmothers, but they do occasionally get notable roles, with witches being the most common outside of the three former roles. (A common saying among contraltos is that they're only allowed to play "witches, bitches, or boys.")The word alto is often applied to instruments to indicate their range in relation to other instruments of the same group. In common usage, particularly among jazz musicians, the word has become synonymous with the alto saxophone. In US usage the alto horn is an Eb saxhorn, a brass instrument.

Alto Roles -

3rd Lady (''Die Zauberflöte'')

Azucena (''Il Trovatore'')

Arsace (''Semiramide'')

Birgitta (''Die Tote Stadt'')

Carmen (''Carmen'')

Dalila (''Samson et Dalila'')

Frédéric (''Mignon'')

Erda (''Das Rheingold, Siegfried'')

La Cieca (''La Gioconda'')

Jeanne (''The Maid of Orleans'')

Oberon (''A Midsummer Night's Dream'')

Olga (''Eugene Onegin'')

Orfeo (''Orfeo ed Euridice'')

Orlando (''Orlando (opera)Orlando'')

Pauline (''The Queen of Spades'')

Rinaldo (''Rinaldo'')

The Witch (''Hänsel und Gretel'')

Ulrica (''Un Ballo in Maschera'')

Famous altos - ]] ]] ]] ]]

Classical music -

Marian Anderson

Janet Baker

Lili Chookasian

Kathleen Ferrier

Birgit Finnilä

Maureen Forrester

Marilyn Horne

Sara Mingardo

Yvonne Minton

Ewa Podleś

Ernestine Schumann-Heink

Nathalie Stutzmann

Popular music - ''NOTE: In most cases, it is not possible to find a reputable source for the vocal range of pop singers. It seems most names were listed here on an empirical basis. It must be noted that in the pop world, the vocal range of a singer is often artificially enhanced.''

Aaliyah

Sade Adu

Fiona Apple

Siti Nurhaliza

Anita Baker

Florence Ballard

Fantasia Barrino

Toni Braxton

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Tracy Chapman

Cher (entertainer)Cher

India.Arie

Kelis

Alicia Keys

Chaka Khan

Gladys Knight

Natalie Merchant

Annie Lennox

Brandy NorwoodBrandy

June Pointer

Joss Stone

Tionne Watkins

Nicole Wray

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Official Home page of Saxophonist and recording artist Noah Peter
Saxophonist and band leader Noah Peterson offers a clear, true voice and a new vision. The consummate professional in every sense, his group reflects his vision at the center of their improvisation. Turning pop tunes into jazz classics; polishing jazz standards into bright new gems. His talented musicians offer the perfect balance to Noah's fine horn playing; they are light to Noah's shadow, as they groove to the mystic depths of his untamed saxohpone. Like the best high wire act these gentlemen perform without a net.
http://www.noahpeterson.com/

World Wide Database of Trombonists
A worldwide database of trombonists including Alto, Tenor and Bass Trombones. Submit your details for free.
http://www.trombone-directory.com/

Dave Schulz
Web site providing information on the keyboardist/vocalist/producer/composer, who has toured the world with some of the greatest acts in modern music.
http://www.daveschulzmusic.com/

The National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain
The National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain is a lively, talented and enterprising ensemble of saxophonists committed to presenting challenging but accessible music to as wide an audience as possible. The NSC was founded by Nigel Wood in 2003. It has already made a big impact on the saxophonic world and currently attracts players and guest conductors from all over the country to its monthly rehearsals in Birmingham. Standards are rigorously maintained by audition but the ethos is friendly, co-operative and adventurous.
http://www.saxchoir.com/

Melrose Music MM
MelroseMusic MM (run by Douglas Gunn) publishes music and recordings, early and modern music - instrumental vocal and choral - including music by Irish composers. New titles added frequently.
http://www.melrosemusic.ie/

Ed Wynne; Saxophonist, Vocalist, Song Writer
Ed Wynne; Saxophonist, Vocalist, Song Writer. This is the web-site for Los Angeles based entertainer Ed Wynne.
http://www.edwynne.com

Alto Voltaje
Sitio Web Oficial de la banda rock chilena Alto Voltaje
http://www.altovoltaje.cl/

Sempre Nomadi.org
Sito riguardante i Nomadi. Qui potete trovare la discografia completa, le date dei concerti e foto che riguardano i componenti del gruppo.
http://www.semprenomadi.org/

Tango meets Jazz: Vibratanghissimo from Berlin
The Tango meets Jazz - Ensemble Vibratanghissimo from Berlin introduces itself: Information, Photos, Pressquotes, Samples, Concertdates, CD-Shop and Contact.
http://www.vibratanghissimo.de/

Cursos de Flamenco, Sevillanas y D. Española
Escuela especializada en la enseñanza de Flamenco, Sevillanas y Danza Española con 15 años de experiencia.
http://www.sevillanas-madrid.com/

Brass and Woodwind Sales and Repair
We have fully stocked repair facility for both brass and woodwind instruments, as well as stringed instruments. We offer a variety of brass and woodwind instruments for sale, as well as the full string family of instruments - violin, viola, cello, bass and classical guitar.
http://www.riedstrasviolinshop.com/

König Reinigungstechnik & Hydraulik
Ihr autorisierter Fachhändler für den Verkauf & Kundendienst von Geräten der Firma Nilfisk-Alto
http://www.koenig-reinigungstechnik.de/

Alto-Shaam
Products include ovens, combis, holding cabinets, fryers, merchandisers, heated display cases and heated buffet servers.
http://www.alto-shaam.com

Penn State Mont Alto
Offering the first two years of 180 Majors as well as 4-year programs concluding with bachelor's of science degrees in nursing, occupational therapy, human development and family studies.
http://www.ma.psu.edu/

Pittsburg State University
A public co-ed four-year university in Pittsburg, Kansas established in 1903.
http://www.pittstate.edu/

Calar Alto Observatory
A German-Spanish Astronomical Centre with telescopes up to 3.5m and an ALFA laser guide star for adaptive optics. Located in Southern Spain.
http://www.caha.es/