Olivia Ward
Encyclopedia
Olivia Ward is an American mezzo-soprano
opera singer
and the winner of season 11
of The Biggest Loser, which was the fourth season of couples on the TV reality show
. Olivia competed on the purple team, alongside her sister, Hannah, in which they both managed to go to the final two together. She also works as a manager at a plastic surgery office.
She was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi
. Her family subsequently moved to Houston, Texas
, where she attended Langham Creek High School
though her junior year. She spent her senior year at and graduated from Baker High School
, Mobile, Alabama
in 1994. Ward then earned a degree in vocal performance from the University of Alabama
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
in 1998. She continued her education, earning a master's degree in voice/opera in 2002 from the New England Conservatory of Music. She currently resides in New York City
with her husband Ben, whom she married soon after graduating from Alabama.
Ward's operatic work includes appearances with Ashlawn Highlands Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Las Vegas Opera, Mobile Opera, Nashville Opera, Nevada Opera, Music City Community Chorus’s Operalooza! and Music City Community Chorus—both in Nashville, Tennessee
, and the Nashville, Virginia, and Chattanooga symphony orchestras. By 2007 she had begun attracting regional operatic and orchestral attention.
Ward's motivation for being on The Biggest Loser was the fact that her weight, which had climbed to over 261 pounds, combined with a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
, meant she would likely never have children if she didn't lose a significant amount of weight. She felt her obesity was a reason she had not received many opera singing roles. Her teammate was her sister Hannah Curlee, who is three years younger than her. Ward won the Biggest Loser Season 11 on 24 May 2011 and Hannah placed second. She is the eldest of four siblings.
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
opera singer
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and the winner of season 11
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4 is the eleventh season of the NBC reality television series entitled The Biggest Loser. The contestants competed to win a $250,000 prize, which was awarded to Olivia Ward, the contestant with the highest percentage of weight loss. It premiered on January 4, 2011...
of The Biggest Loser, which was the fourth season of couples on the TV reality show
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
. Olivia competed on the purple team, alongside her sister, Hannah, in which they both managed to go to the final two together. She also works as a manager at a plastic surgery office.
She was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
. Her family subsequently moved to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, where she attended Langham Creek High School
Langham Creek High School
Langham Creek High School is a high school located near Cypress, which is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, near Houston. Langham Creek, which was established in 1984, is part of the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District. Several communities, including Concord Bridge, are...
though her junior year. She spent her senior year at and graduated from Baker High School
Baker High School (Mobile County, Alabama)
Baker High School, is located in the western part of Mobile, Alabama, and is a public high school operated by the Mobile County Public School System. They educate students in grades 9-12.- History :...
, Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
in 1994. Ward then earned a degree in vocal performance from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
in 1998. She continued her education, earning a master's degree in voice/opera in 2002 from the New England Conservatory of Music. She currently resides in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with her husband Ben, whom she married soon after graduating from Alabama.
Ward's operatic work includes appearances with Ashlawn Highlands Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Las Vegas Opera, Mobile Opera, Nashville Opera, Nevada Opera, Music City Community Chorus’s Operalooza! and Music City Community Chorus—both in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, and the Nashville, Virginia, and Chattanooga symphony orchestras. By 2007 she had begun attracting regional operatic and orchestral attention.
Ward's motivation for being on The Biggest Loser was the fact that her weight, which had climbed to over 261 pounds, combined with a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome is one of the most common female endocrine disorders. PCOS is a complex, heterogeneous disorder of uncertain aetiology, but there is strong evidence that it can to a large degree be classified as a genetic disease....
, meant she would likely never have children if she didn't lose a significant amount of weight. She felt her obesity was a reason she had not received many opera singing roles. Her teammate was her sister Hannah Curlee, who is three years younger than her. Ward won the Biggest Loser Season 11 on 24 May 2011 and Hannah placed second. She is the eldest of four siblings.