Performance Year: 2022
Soprano Maria Brea is a native of Caracas, Venezuela, currently residing in New York City. Praised for being a “very classy Venezuelan soprano” by The Arts Desk, a “versatile soprano” by Tampa Bay and a “luxurious soprano” by Opera Wire and, as Micëla, “her lush tones and thrilling diminuendos were warmly received” according to the Brooklyn Reporter. Ms. Brea’s signature roles include Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Musetta in Puccini’s La Bohème, Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Elena in Giménez’s El Barbero de Sevilla, for which she was awarded Best Musical Actress by the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors. Ms. Brea is a fine recitalist and promoter of art song as well as an avid oratorio singer. She has performed throughout the world, from Cardiff to Paris, stunning her audiences with her exciting renditions, sparkling clarity and dazzling range.
Brea’s father, a music teacher and cuatro player, taught her Venezuelan folk music from an early age. Maria is a co-founder of the Instagram platform Latina Women in Opera and is a Spanish diction expert at DictionBuddy.com. Maria holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the Manhattan School of Music and a master’s degree in music from the Juilliard School.
