Part I: Gifts- These songs offer a beautiful chance to indulge in great poetry, painted here by the musical genius of these masterful composers. Humperdinck and Cornelius offer us two Advent and Christmas gems, introducing the spirit of the occasion and its essence of grace. Reger’s music, reputed too difficult, saved this “sticky” situation with these charming children’s Christmas specialties. Further adding to the charming Christmas theme, the great poet Mörike shows us spectacular poetry, celebrated in his revered and masterful collaboration with Wolf. To this group I have added the infamous Goethe-Wolf Epiphanias, as Goethe’s “Three Kings” humor also adds flavor to the theme. (Live) recording Como, Italy 2008 At the invitation of the White House, Jane Marsh represented the U.S. in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and was the first singer to win the Gold Medal in that competition. She has sung in most of the major festivals, opera houses and concert halls of the world. Ms. Marsh is a recipient of the New York Handel Medaille for special and exceptional contribution to the world of music. She also includes a Presidental Award from the White House, the U.S. Merit Award, The Time/Life Achievement Award, The Mademoiselle Magazine “Woman of the Year” Award, and the U.S. World News Achievement Award among her prestigious honors. Her repertoire ranges through the major roles in operas by Handel, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Strauss, Bellini, Tchaikovsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov, with great Italian emphasis. She also includes wide international experience on television as well as on the concert and recital stage, singing works by such composers as Rachmaninoff, Mahler, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Dvorak, Wolf, Wellesz, Hindemith, Barber, Rorem, and von Einem, including world premieres by the latter two. Not only has the Tchaikovsky competition created a bond with the Russian repertoire, but also having performed a number of the signature Tchaikovsky heroines, as well as the title role in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Invisible City of Kitish and the Maiden Fevronia- with Russian conductor Yuri Aronovitch at Italy’s Festivale di Sagra Umbra and the RAI- has created significant association with that repertoire. This continues to be evident as Ms. Marsh and the exceptional and celebrated South African pianist, cellist and harpsichordist Gerd Ohlssen collaborate in ongoing projects, including all of the more than 100 Tchaikovsky songs, as well as various thematic recitals, such as the themed recital Gifts & Treasures.