American soprano Deanna Breiwick, hailed by The New York Times for her “sweet sound and floating high notes” and for being a “vocal trapeze artist,” is enjoying an exciting and diverse career. Ms. Breiwick’s 2019/20 season includes a return to Opernhaus Zürich in the title role of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Coraline, a debut with Opéra de Monte-Carlo as Isolier in Le comte Ory opposite Cecilia Bartoli, and a return to Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Adele in Die Fledermaus. Orchestral highlights include a return to San Antonio Symphony for Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, and a debut with the Detroit Symphony for Handel’s Messiah.
In the 2018/19 season, Ms. Breiwick returned to the Metropolitan Opera as a Shadow in the North American premiere of Nico Muhly’s Marnie, conducted by Robert Spano, debuted with Michigan Opera Theatre as Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel and Rosasharn in Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath, debuted Adina in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore with Opera Omaha, debuted the role of Cunegonde in Candide for a return to Des Moines Metro Opera, and Norina in Don Pasquale for a house debut with Berkshire Opera Festival.
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In the 2017/18 season, Ms. Breiwick returned to Opernhaus Zürich, performing Drusilla in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. She also made her Metropolitan Opera stage debut, first as La Charmeuse in Massenet’s Thaïs, and then as a Flower Maiden in Wagner’s Parsifal, a new production conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Other debuts included Opera Philadelphia as Aveline Mortimer in Elizabeth Cree. Concert debuts included Seattle Symphony and New Choral Society in Scarsdale, NY for Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana in a joint project with the Charleston Symphony and Nashville Ballet, as well as with the El Paso Choral Society, and the Israelite Woman in Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus with the International Handel Festival in Göttingen, Germany. Ms. Breiwick also presented solo recitals in El Paso, Texas and Chicago, Illinois, the latter with close collaborator Julie Coucheron.
As an Ensemble member of Opernhaus Zürich, Deanna performed a variety of roles: Carolina (Il matrimonio segreto), Elisa (Il Re Pastore), Marzelline (Fidelio), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), and Frauke Beeke Hansen in the world premiere of Das Gespenst von Canterville. Roles for the 2015/16 season included Madame Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor), Adelaide (The Enchanted Pig), a Shepherdess and Amor (King Arthur), and Dorinda (Orlando). She later returned in the winter of 2016 as Dorothy in Pierangelo Valtinoni’s Der Zauberer von Oz (The Wizard of Oz). Elsewhere, Ms. Breiwick performed Nannetta in Verdi’s Falstaff with Des Moines Metro Opera, Rosasharn with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Gilda in Rigoletto with Palm Beach Opera and Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte with Opera Omaha and Fauré’s Requiem with the San Antonio Symphony.
Previous engagements for Ms. Breiwick include Mabel (Pirates of Penzance) and Johanna (Sweeney Todd) with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. With the Metropolitan Opera, Ms. Breiwick covered the role of Ariel in the premiere of The Enchanted Island and was a featured soloist in the company’s Summer Recital Series. With the Juilliard opera she has performed the role of Norina, Sophie Scholl in the American premiere of Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen!, and Thérese in Les mamelles de Tirésias. She sang the role of Clizia in Handel’s Teseo with Chicago Opera Theatre. As a fellow of the Aspen Music Festival, she sang the role of Nannetta, and was the soprano soloist in Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Under the direction of David Robertson, Ms. Breiwick made her Zankel Hall debut singing the title role of Mozart’s Zaide. She has been featured as the title role in Handel’s Clori, Tirsi e Fileno with Juilliard 415 and under the baton of Nicholas McGegan, and has performed with conductor William Christie in a performance of Handel’s Saeviat tellus. As a fellow of the Tanglewood Music Center she also sang the role of Najade (Ariadne auf Naxos). Additional roles include Une Bergere with the Met+Juilliard production of Armide, Sr. Constance (Dialogues des Carmélites) with The Mannes Opera, as well as two opera premiers as part of VOX with New York City Opera.
Deanna Breiwick is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Grand Finalist, a Grand Prize Winner of the Sullivan Foundation Vocal Competition, and a First Prize Winner of the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition. She also holds awards from the George London Foundation, the Giulio Gari Foundation, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, and the Richard F. Gold Career Grant. Ms. Breiwick is a native of Seattle, WA and holds degrees from The Juilliard School and Mannes College of Music.
