Opera News wrote of Elizabeth DeShong’s performance as Sesto in the Los Angeles Opera’s production of La Clemenza di Tito: “Elizabeth DeShong took pride of place as Sesto. Completely unrecognizable in her beard and dingy armor, DeShong sang with the range, expressiveness and musical precision that captured the hysterical extremes of her character. Much of Sesto’s music lies in the cellars of DeShong’s mezzo-soprano, where the intensely deep contralto tones she commands contrasted startlingly with the dazzling coloratura runs at the top of her range.”
DeShong initially trained as a pianist and subsequently studied singing at Oberlin College. She has sung several roles for the Metropolitan Opera, New York, including Arsace (Semiramide), Wardrobe Mistress/Schoolboy/Page (Lulu), Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Enchanted Island) and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly). Her other appearances include Fenena (Nabucco) and Adalgisa (Norma) for Lyric Opera of Chicago, Angelina (La Cenerentola), Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and Suzuki for Glyndebourne Festival, Ruggiero (Alcina) for Washington National Opera, Arsace in Bordeaux, Suzuki for Bavarian State Opera, Angelina for Wiener Staatsoper, Calbo (Maometto II) for Canadian Opera Company, Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel) for Edinburgh Festival, and Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia) for Los Angeles Opera. In 2010 she received Washington National Opera’s Young Artist of the Year Award for performances as the Composer (Ariadne auf Naxos).