Lisette Oropesa is one of those exceptional things that appears, like a Haley Comet, once every 10 years.
- Notodo
Lisette Oropesa, lyric coloratura soprano, is one of the most in demand artists on the stages of the world, performing at the world's leading opera houses
This includes the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, and Royal Opera House - Covent Garden. Known for her seamless legato, solid technique, and impressive language skills, Lisette interprets a broad repertoire spanning bel canto, Mozart, Händel, and French composers.
Lisette's portrayals of Violetta in La Traviata have been highly acclaimed at the Met, Royal Opera House, Teatro Real, Grand Theatre del Liceu, Arena di Verona, and the Wiener Staatsoper, among others. Her star turn was as Lucia di Lammermoor at Teatro Real, Royal Opera House, La Scala, and the Salzburger Festspiele. She has also been praised for her performances of Gilda in Rigoletto and Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Manon in Massenet's work, Rodelinda, and Queen Marguerite in Les Huguenots.
Known for her vivid portrayals, Lisette has achieved worldwide acclaim for her seamless vocal technique, expressive musicality, linguistic affinity, and stylistic integrity.
Cuban-American soprano Lisette Oropesa who has "an endless supply of golden-age trills," (Opera News) and has a voice that is "brightly crystalline and arrestingly powerful," (New York Times)
She has a "technique without weakness" (Codalario) and "everything she touches turns into gold" (Place de l'Opera)
Current Season
The 2025/26 season will see Lisette continuing to explore new and familiar roles. She will make an important role debut as Norma in NORMA at Savonlinna Opera Festival in July. She returns to the roles of Maria Stuarda in MARIA STUARDA at Salzburger Festspiele in June, Amalia in I MASNADIERI at Bayerische Staatsoper in July, Manon Lescaut in MANON at Opernhaus Zürich in September, Juliette in ROMÉO ET JULIETTE at Staatsoper Berlin in October, Violetta Valery in LA TRAVIATA at Bayerische Staatsoper in November, Elvira in I PURITANI at Metropolitan Opera in November, Amalia in I MASNADIERI at Teatro Real in February, Violetta Valery in LA TRAVIATA at Metropolitan Opera in March and Elvira in I PURITANI at Royal Opera House in May.
Additional appearances include and Summer Gala at Festspielhaus Baden Baden in June.
An active performer of concert and recital repertoire, she has performed for audiences globally from Tokyo to Rio de Janeiro. Her highly acclaimed recordings include an award winning discs of Rossini & Donizetti, French Bel Canto Arias, Mis amores son las flores, Zarzuela arias and a studio recording of LA TRAVIATA, and I PURITANI as well as a compilation of Mozart concert arias, titled Ombra compagna. She's also recorded two live recital discs Within/Without and Aux filles du désert. This season she will release three new albums, Lucia di Lammermoor, I Puritani and a compilation of Zarzuela Arias, titled "Mis amores son las flores"
About
Lisette was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Cuban parents, and played the flute for 12 years and she began her studies in vocal performance at Louisiana State University. After winning the Met Opera National Council Auditions, she entered the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and moved to New York City. She sang her first major role, Susanna in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, at the Met at the age of 22, and has sung there in over 140 performances in many different roles since. She has appeared in concert halls and opera stages all over the world since graduating from the young artist program in 2008, and has become one of the most celebrated singers of her generation, both for her singing and her inspiring personal story. Lisette is a devoted runner who has completed 6 marathons and is an advocate for health and fitness.
She has received some of the most important awards in opera, such as the Beverly Sills Award, the Richard Tucker Award, the Franco Abbiati Prize, and the Oper! Award for best Female Singer. In 2023 she was also bestowed the "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French government.
Lisette Oropesa…relève du miracle artistique qu'on voudrait ne jamais quitter et voir se répéter sans cesse. (ResMusica)
La voz es bella, cálida, rica en colores, tan fascinante como su riqueza expresiva. (El Pais)
Career Highlights
Lisette began her career at the Metropolitan Opera, and has starred in various roles there, including Manon Lescaut in MANON, Violetta Valery in LA TRAVIATA, Nannetta in FALSTAFF, Gretel in HANSEL AND GRETEL, Gilda in RIGOLETTO, and Susanna in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO.
She has a strong relationship to Spanish theatres such as the Teatro Real and the Grand Theatre del Liceu where she has sung in LA TRAVIATA, LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR and RIGOLETTO, IL TURCO IN ITALIA, and RODELINDA.
She has appeared many times with the Bayerische Staatsoper as Konstanze in DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL, a role she has also sung at the Opéra National de Paris. Her most performed role is Gilda in RIGOLETTO, which she has sung at the Dutch National Opera, Teatro dell'opera di Roma, Los Angeles Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Opéra National de Paris, and the Teatro Real. In the U.K., Lisette triumphed as Norina in DON PASQUALE at Glyndebourne, and as LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, LA TRAVIATA, and ALCINA at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Other roles include Ophélie in HAMLET, Cleopatra in GIULIO CESARE, Leïla in LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES, Marie in LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT, Amalia in I MASNADIERI, Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, and Adina in L'ELISIR D'AMORE.
More career highlights include - Covent Garden as Gilda in a new production of RIGOLETTO to open their season, new productions of I MASNADIERI, I CAPULETI E I MONTECCHI, and LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR at Teatro alla Scala, Elvira in I PURITANI at the Teatro di San Carlo in Napoli, Queen Marguerite de Valois in Meyerbeer's LES HUGUENOTS and HAMLET at the Opera National de Paris.
Lisette also performs many solo concerts and recitals each year, and is a beloved interpreter of art song. Her concert programs have delighted audiences in Valencia, Madrid, Seville, Vienna, Gstaad, Prague, Tokyo, Rome, Parma, Pesaro, New York City, Napa, Tucson, New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, and elsewhere.