ABOUT ANGEL
Biography
Listed by Operavore among the “40 Under 40: A New Generation of Superb Opera Singers”, dramatic soprano Angel Azzarra is quickly gaining recognition for her “warm voice that swells from staggering size to pianissimi as effortlessly as the ocean waves” (Sybaritic Singer, Ashley Emrick).
Ms. Azzarra performed excerpts from the title role of Ariadne auf Naxos at Opera Theatre of St. Louis Center Stage Concert, where she was praised for “demonstrat[ing] simply astonishing power and pure beauty. I saw the rafters lift about an inch” (Broadway World, Steve Callahan). Further operatic commitments have included her triumphant ride as Gerhilde in Detroit Opera’s The Valkyries under the baton of Sir Andrew Davis, Opera Festival of Chicago's inaugural seasons covering Giorgetta in Il tabarro and Gulnara in Il corsaro, dell'Arte Opera Ensemble’s Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, continuing that role with Gulfshore Opera and St. Petersburg Opera, and her Mimì in Mobile Opera's La bohème. Recent performances have included Turandot, Foreign Princess with Opera Ithaca’s Rusalka, and her Kennedy Center debut described by The Washington Post as ““...visually vibrant and vocally dazzling” as Melpomene in Les Fêtes de Thalie with Opera Lafayette.
Additionally in demand as a recitalist and chamber musician, Ms. Azzarra's notable concert appearances include Villa-Lobos's Bachianas brasileiras No. 5, with the Heifetz Institute and Eastman School of Music, and performances of Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire with Caravanserai Ensemble, James Madison University, and the Shenandoah Fringe Festival. She has held residencies with D.C. Strings, Música de Cámara (Lima, Peru), and the Schubert Institut (AUT).
Other works beyond the physical stage include a filmed production as Berta in The Barber of Seville with Opera Theatre Saint Louis and the lead in an original piece, Once Upon a Winter, which premiered on PBS in 2021. Angel also advocates for opera and classical music education on her YouTube channel, and social platform AngelOpera, which has reached over 5 million viewers, and has over 57,000 regular subscribers across platforms.
40 under 40: A superb new class of opera singers
Angel Azzarra, a soprano from Mississippi, was a standout as Donna Anna in Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble’s Don Giovanni in August. She has sung with quality and distinction in numerous venues.
Nathan Farro (American Record Guide) Reviews Sheltering Voices
“Soprano Angel Azzarra gave an impassioned performance that flowed so organically that it was as if each phrase was spontaneously created in that very moment. She and Boyd both related to me their intense emotional reactions to the text, and the musical connection they experienced in the finished piece.”
