American soprano Amber Wagner is a winner of the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Finals and was featured in the documentary film “The Audition” which opened to audiences nationwide in 2009.  The Chicago Tribune said of her 11/12 season triumph in Ariadne auf Naxos, “Amber Wagner's opulent Ariadne was one of the central attractions of the hugely enjoyable revival of the Cox production Lyric presented.”

This season, Amber Wagner triumphed in the title role in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos at Lyric Opera of Chicago, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis.  While covering this same role with Canadian Opera Company earlier in the year, Ms. Wagner gained special notoriety by replacing an ailing colleague on only 24 hours notice, to great acclaim.  Debuts for the 2011/12 season include concert performances of Ariadne auf Naxos at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia under Sir Andrew Davis, at Oper Frankfurt, performing Sieglinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre, conducted by Sebastian Weigle as well as a Metropolitan Opera debut as Anna in Verdi’s Nabucco.  Role debuts include Senta in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer, conducted by Philippe Auguin at The Savonlinna Opera Festival.   She will also return to Lyric Opera of Chicago to cover the title role in Aida. 

Last season saw Amber Wagner’s return to the Lyric Opera of Chicago to sing Elsa in Lohengrin conducted by Sir Andrew Davis; she performed the same role for her debut at the Savonlinna Opera Festival.  Symphonic highlights included a return to the Grant Park Music Festival for Verdi’s Requiem and as Sieglinde in Act 1 of Wagner's Die Walküre in concert with the Colorado Symphony conducted by Christian Arming.

For the 2009/10 season, Amber Wagner made her European debut with the Prague State Opera, performing Brangäne in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde with conductor Jan Latham Koenig.  She also began her final season as a member of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago where she understudied the role of Elvira in Ernani conducted by Renato Palumbo and sang the role of Feklusa in Katya Kabanová conducted by Markus Stenz.  Debut symphonic appearances included Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Grant Park Festival and with the Oregon Symphony performing Rossini’s Stabat Mater, both under the baton of Carlos Kalmar.

As a member of the Patrick G. and Shirley Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Amber Wagner made her debut as an Unborn Child in Paul Curran’s production of Die Frau ohne Schatten and performed in the student matinees of Il barbiere di Siviglia as Berta.  In the 2008/09 season, Ms. Wagner performed the role of Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and understudied the roles of Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde and Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana. 

Miss Wagner is a force on the competition scene as well, recently winning the Liederkranz Foundation Competition, Richard Tucker Career Grant Award, and Kirsten Flagstad Award with the George London Foundation as well as being the recipient of a Sullivan Foundation Career Grant.  She is also the first place winner of the Palm Beach Opera and Palm Springs Opera Guild Competitions, winner of the Lynne Harvey Scholarship from the Musicians Club of Women and winner of the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation Competition.  Ms. Wagner is a native of Oregon.