Vanessa Becerra
Peruvian & Mexican-American soprano Vanessa Becerra is a graduate of LA Opera’s prestigious Young Artist Program praised for her “bold and bright” singing (Opera News), “full, beautifully focused” instrument (Wall Street Journal), and “charismatic and eloquent” presence (San Francisco Chronicle).
The 2023-24 season includes role debuts as Norina in Don Pasquale (Opera Omaha & Lakes Area Music Festival) and Adele in Die Fledermaus (Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera). She returns to the role of Zerlina in Don Giovanni (Arizona Opera), and joins the Phoenix Symphony as the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah. In the summer she returns to Opera Theater of St. Louis to sing Maria Celeste/Eos in Philip Glass’ Galileo Galilei.
In the 2022-23 season Vanessa debuted the roles of Marie in La fille du régiment (Minnesota Opera), Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro (Opera Omaha), Carolina in El matrimonio secreto (Florida Grand Opera), Despina in Così fan tutte (Opera Theater of St. Louis) and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette (Boston Lyric Opera) for which she received praise from the Boston Globe for her “clarity, luster, and charisma”. She revisited La mujer in El Milagro del Recuerdo (Houston Grand Opera) and debuted with the San Antonio Philharmonic under the baton of Kazem Abdullah singing Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and Mozart’s Bella mia fiamma. Last summer she joined Madison Opera and Madison Symphony Orchestra for their annual Opera in the Park celebration with maestro John DeMain.
In previous seasons Vanessa has sung roles with companies including Washington National Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Austin Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Atlanta Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival, Opera San Jose, Opera Parallèle, and her hometown company of Fort Worth Opera where she had her professional debut, bringing “passionate theatrical intensity” (Wall Street Journal) and a “sunny, youthfully appealing soprano [which] created an irresistible characterization” (Opera News).
In addition to her training with LA Opera, Vanessa is an alumna of programs including the Glimmerglass Festival, Wolf Trap Opera Company, Des Moines Metro Opera, and the Seagle Festival.
