Fall NewsletterParis, New York, Geneva, Bilbao, Madrid  Watch the newsletter here! Hello my friends, and welcome to my Fall 2024 Newsletter! This promises to be a very special season for me, and it makes me so happy to be able to share all of these upcoming engagements with you. I hope to see you at some of them. Recitals, concerts, French opera, and of course, a good helping of Bel Canto, always make for a great season! This fall I’m starting with a revival of a beloved role, Manon, to open the season in Valencia. Then we move on to Mozart’s Requiem in a single performance in Paris at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées. At the end of October, I have the privilege of performing a solo recital at Carnegie Hall, in a special program of Cuban composers and French and Italian music inspired by Spanish rhythms and dances. Two more recitals start off the month of November; one in Geneva and one in Bilbao, both with programs of French and Italian music. Then my most delightful news is my debut of a new bel canto title, Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda. This is a role I’ve been looking forward to for years, and it’s an honor to make this important debut in Madrid at the Teatro Real. Those performances will be in December. Have a wonderful harvest season filled with fun music, crisp weather, and love! And don’t forget pumpkin spice! |
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Upcoming Performances Mozart RequiemThéâtre des Champs Elysées Soprano Lisette sings the soprano role of the Mozart Requiem at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées October 17 Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris, France  RecitalCarnegie Hall Soprano Lisette sings her first solo piano recital at Carnegie Hall in Weill Hall. October 23 Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall New York, NY, USA  RecitalGrand Théâtre de Genève Soprano Lisette heads to Geneva to perform a special, French inspired recital with Alessandro Praticò at the Piano November 03 Grand Théâtre de Genève Genève, CH  RecitalABAO Opera Bilbao Soprano Lisette and Alessandro both head to Bilbao to perform in another recital for the Spanish audience in Bilbao! November 06 Sociedad Filarmónica de Bilbao Bilbao, Spain  Maria StuardaTeatro Real Maria Stuarda Lisette performs her first ever Maria Stuarda at the Teatro Real in Madrid with Aigul Akhmetshina as Elisabetta and Ismael Jordi as Roberto. December 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29 Teatro Real Madrid, ES |
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FeaturesChristian Van Horn PodcastInterview  Lisette had the opportunity to speak on Christian Van Horn's podcast while she was in Salzburg. Speaking Soundly PodcastInterview  Lisette spoke with Met Opera Principal Trumpet, David Krauss on his Speaking Soundly podcast ahead of her recital debut at Carnegie Hall. |
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ReviewsIt was the prelude before accompanying, together, the protagonist, one of the most sought-after sopranos in the world, who demonstrated the reason for her busy schedule. We’re talking about Lisette Oropesa, who dazzled everyone with a varied repertoire in which masterpieces by greats like Donizetti, Verdi, Bellini, and Rossini flowed through her voice, shaped by a sound that combines the softness of velvet and the pleasant freshness of a summer breeze. — P. Pellicer • Ultima Hora
Just like, and especially, Lisette Oropesa. When she portrays Ophélie, the character doesn’t remain merely a glass-fragile femme fragile: Instead, the coloratura soprano fills her sometimes simple, then richly ornamented cantilenas with the fullness and warmth of a lover who is disappointed in an incomprehensible way and subsequently goes to her death. A hint of Cotrubas resonates in her timbre, a dash of Gheorghiu—and yet Oropesa is a diva of her own stature, capable of retracting her brilliant high notes into a delicate piano: This already provoked storms of applause after her mad scene. — Walter Weidringer • Die Presse
Not surprisingly, Lisette Oropesa’s Ophélie has become one of her operatic calling cards in recent years, with numerous productions to her credit - including last year’s Paris Opera event, in which she starred opposite this evening’s Gertrude, Ève-Maud Hubeaux. The ideal combination of Oropesa’s limpid timbre, technical finesse, and a warmly-winning presence brought anticipated furore and a fully-deserved triumph for the soprano. In keeping with her Hamlet, Oropesa’s interpretation is wonderfully-balanced, moving from her opening Act 1 duet Doute de la lumière through Ophélie’s Act 2 lament, Sa main depuis hier n'a pas touché ma main! to a wonderfully-shaped Act 2 garden scene, Adieu, dit-il, ayez-foi! - and further rising to the great drama of Act 3’s trio with Hamlet and Gertrude. The celebrated mad sccene is a natural show-stealer, and Oropesa brought to it quite consummate stage work to compliment an ideal filigran sweep in vocal range and dynamics - deservedly crowning her evening with a thundering ovation from the house. — Moore Parker • The Opera Critic
First and foremost, the captivatingly singing and emotionally moving Lisette Oropesa in the title role. The Cuban-American soprano brings everything essential for this role: a beautiful voice, just large enough, bright and finely timbred, expressive and technically skilled enough to float gracefully and almost weightlessly through the cadences with elegant ease. She is capable of the softest pianissimo but also steadfast in powerful sequences, as in "Sempre libera." Admirable is how Oropesa can transform within the shifting emotional worlds, from blissful love in the first act to harrowing despair in "Addio del passato" and the final flicker of will to live and love in the face of death. As an actress, she convinces with honest, lovable sincerity, not with grand gestures. — Manfred A. Schmid • Online Merker
Lisette Oropesa proves herself at the State Opera as one of the divas of our time. Juan Diego Flórez as Alfredo impresses with feeling. It certainly helps to have a subtly acting performer like Lisette Oropesa, who elegantly embodies this role. She takes photos almost casually, effortlessly. This reduces the ostentatiousness of the first act without diminishing its impact, making it less intrusive than with previous performers. Warm timbre, brilliant high notes Overall, Oropesa is likely one of the best Violettas one can currently hear and see. The way she practically breaks under the demand from Alfredo's father to give him up, the way she fights against the advancing illness with fragility, the way her love for Alfredo refuses to be extinguished—all of this was truly powerful vocal acting. Above all, her vocal performance left nothing to be desired: with a warm timbre, precise coloratura and phrasing, and brilliant high notes, she proved herself as one of the divas of our time. Outstanding is the quality with which she brings both the radiance for the first act and the lyricism for what follows. — Theresa Steininger • Die Presse
Like Manon, Oropesa’s artistry is volatile and versatile, as well as direct, fresh, and youthful. Without twists or half-measures. Steeped in the past yet unreservedly open to the uncertainty of the future. Manon in body and soul. The soprano fully embraced the character’s essence and its complex vocal demands. Genuine and unique. Different from Janine Micheau, from Victoria, from Cotrubas, and from so many other great Manons of history, yet close to the same Olympus. In the second act, she tackled the opera’s most famous aria, “Adieu, notre petite table,” with transparency, nostalgia, and impeccable vocal purity, in contrast to a “Je marche sur tous les chemins” (third act) rounded off with grace and 18th-century flavors in the famous gavotte “Obéissons quand leur voix appelle,” when she revisits the youthful joys of love and youth. Manon Oropesa. Cuban, American, and above all, as French as Massenet's music. — Justo Romero • Scherzo Magazine
Oropesa is in peak form. She adapted to all the emotional nuances demanded by the character (innocence, freshness, playfulness, desire, doubt, melancholy, extravagance, fear, passion, pride, resignation, decline…) with powerful vocal abilities and notable stage presence. Completely secure in every register, homogeneous, subtle and full-bodied, decisive, exquisitely nuanced, always fresh, her voice was a luxury that filled every corner of the main hall of Les Arts. At one point, I thought an encore was about to happen. These things are sometimes inexplicable; sometimes they happen, sometimes they don’t (well, occasionally there is a reason). — Rafael Díaz Gómez • Mundo Classico
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Reflections I love the onset of cool weather; it always makes me walk a little quicker and smile a little brighter. This summer, however, was not without its troubles, as I began dealing with acid reflux that really affected me. I’m still battling it, and I’m trying to take better care of myself and work towards establishing a permanent “routine,” even though the very definition of “routine” is not one that can fit easily into an opera singer’s life. The best thing I’ve learned so far is to be patient with myself and also to say “no,” if I have to, to things that may have negative consequences. No late night dinners, no alcohol, and no excessive chatting. It takes some restraint and lots of discipline, but I am blessed to have people around me who know what is going on with my health right now, and can be supportive. I’m also blessed to be able to count on you all, my friends, for patience and understanding. It’s amazing how many singers have reached out with their own stories about reflux, and shared their tips. It’s a very difficult journey that is full of surprises. I speak on behalf of all singers when I say thank you for any kind words of support you can give to any soloist who puts themselves out there.  |
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