Irene Roberts (mezzo-soprano)

Irene Roberts is an American mezzo-soprano.

Irene Roberts
Roberts in 2020 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Born
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUnited States
Alma materUniversity of the Pacific, Cleveland Institute of Music
OccupationMezzo-soprano
Websitewww.irenerobertsmezzo.com

Early life and education

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Irene Roberts was born and raised in Sacramento, California and attended the Sacramento Waldorf School before earning her undergraduate degree from the University of the Pacific[1] and her master's degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music.[2] She won 2nd prize in the Advanced Division at the 41st Annual Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition[3] and was a finalist for the 2014 Richard Tucker Career Grant.[4]

Career

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Irene Roberts made her Metropolitan Opera debut in The Marriage of Figaro in 2012,[5] and in 2013 debuted at San Francisco Opera in Les Contes d'Hoffmann.[6]

Since 2015 she has been a member of the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin[7] where she has performed roles including The Muse/Nicklausse in Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann,[8] the title role of Bizet's Carmen, Hansel in Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel, and Urbain in Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots.[9]

In 2016 she created the role of Bao Chai in the world premiere of Bright Sheng's Dream of the Red Chamber at San Francisco Opera.[10] She also made her London recital debut at Wigmore Hall with tenor Bryan Hymel.[11]

Roberts made her debut in Amsterdam as The Muse in a new production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann in 2018.[12] In 2019 she made her house debut at La Fenice in Venice with her first performances of Amneris in Verdi's Aida.[13]

Repertory

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Role Composer Opera Locations
Amneris Giuseppe Verdi Aida La Fenice
Der Komponist Richard Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos Palm Beach Opera
Carmen Georges Bizet Carmen Deutsche Oper Berlin, San Francisco Opera, Macerata Opera, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Komische Oper Berlin
Lola Pietro Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana Deutsche Oper Berlin
Bao Chai Bright Sheng Dream of the Red Chamber San Francisco Opera
Siébel Charles Gounod Faust Deutsche Oper Berlin, Baltimore Lyric Opera
Hänsel Engelbert Humperdinck Hänsel und Gretel Deutsche Oper Berlin
Rosina Gioachino Rossini il Barbiere di Siviglia Deutsche Oper Berlin, Baltimore Lyric Opera
Sélika Giacomo Meyerbeer L'Africaine Oper Frankfurt
Isabella Gioachino Rossini L'italiana in Algeri Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Marguerite Hector Berlioz La damnation de Faust Deutsche Oper Berlin
Cherubino Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro Deutsche Oper Berlin, Palm Beach Opera
La Muse/Nicklausse Jacques Offenbach Les Contes d'Hoffmann Deutsche Oper Berlin, Palm Beach Opera, Dutch National Opera
Giulietta Jacques Offenbach Les Contes d'Hoffmann San Francisco Opera
Urbain Giacomo Meyerbeer Les Huguenots Deutsche Oper Berlin
Fenena Giuseppe Verdi Nabucco Deutsche Oper Berlin
Venus Richard Wagner Tannhäuser Staatstheater Klagenfurt, Bayreuther Festspiele
Kundry Richard Wagner Parsifal Staatsoper Hannover, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper
Brangaene Richard Wagner Tristan und Isolde Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Massimo Palermo

Personal life

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Irene Roberts currently resides in Berlin. [14]

References

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  1. ^ "Alumni News: 2000-2009". pacific.edu. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  2. ^ "Alumna Irene Roberts Makes San Francisco Opera Debut". cim.edu. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  3. ^ "Thirteen excel in Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition finals". palmbeachdailynews.com. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  4. ^ "Profile - Irene Roberts". operamrhein.de. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  5. ^ "Le Nozze di Figaro {453} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/26/2012". Metropolitain Opera Archive. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  6. ^ "An Ever-Surprising Tales of Hoffmann From S.F. Opera". San Francisco Classical Voice. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  7. ^ "If You Want to Sing Opera, Learn German". Newsweek. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  8. ^ "Dashes of brilliance in Les Contes d'Hoffmann at Deutsche Oper, Berlin". Financial Times. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  9. ^ "Les Huguenots". Opera News. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  10. ^ "'Dream of the Red Chamber' and 'Andrea Chénier' Reviews: Opera Opts for Old Over New". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  11. ^ "From Heaven's joys to arena's sands: Hymel and Roberts Wigmore Hall". Bachtrack. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  12. ^ "Hoffmann bei DNO: Stimmungslos und verwirrt". Opera Magazine. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  13. ^ "Il ritorno della monumentale Aida da camera al Teatro La Fenice". Giornale della Musica. Retrieved 7 Jul 2019.
  14. ^ "100 Sekunden mit: Irene Roberts [Feature]". YouTube. Retrieved 7 July 2019.