Cecilia Violetta López, named one of opera’s “25 Rising Stars” by Opera News, praised for her “alluring voice and incredible range,” (Washington Times) and her “voice: plush and supple, exquisitely colored.” (San José Mercury). Ms. López has performed her signature role, Violetta in La traviata, countless times throughout North America. Her début of the role was with Martina Arroyo Foundation’s prestigious summer festival, Prelude to Performance. From this performance, The New York Observer exclaimed “[López delivered] a performance of the leading role of Violetta that is among the loveliest I have witnessed on any stage.” She has also performed the role with Opera Tampa, Opera Idaho, Ash Lawn Opera, and in her company début with Virginia Opera.

This season, Ms. López returns to Bard SummerScape for concert performances, including Puccini: The Man and the Reputation, Opera After Verdi, and The Turandot Project, which juxtaposes the third act of Puccini’s post-humously finished opera as adapted by Luciano Berrio and that of Ferruccio Busoni, who adapted the Turandot story seven years before Puccini. She will also perform the role of Beatrice in Il postino with Opera Saratoga, Micaëla in Carmen in her house début with Michigan Opera Theatre, performs as Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites and Rosalind in Die Fledermaus as a part of Eugene Opera’s New Year’s Eve Opera Trio concert, and Norina in Don Pasquale with Zomeropera in Belgium. Additionally, she will be performing the soprano solo in Händel’s Messiah with Boise Philharmonic.

With an impressive repertoire of leading female roles, some highlights from recent seasons include the role of Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Opera Tampa; the title roles of Suor Angelica with Opera San Luis Obispo and L’incoronazione di Poppea with Hawaii Performing Arts Festival; Magda di Civry in La rondine with Skylark Opera Theatre; and Gilda in Rigoletto with Opera Idaho. Additional highlights include the role of Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Opera Tampa and Opera Las Vegas and productions of Les vêpres siciliennes with Caramoor Music Festival and The Merry Widow where she joined the esteemed roster of The Metropolitan Opera.

Ms. López recently completed a tenure as a Resident Artist at Opera San José where she performed as Leïla in Les pêcheurs de perles, Roselinda in Die Fledermaus, Leonora in Il trovatore, the title role in Suor Angelica, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Nannetta in Falstaff, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly, and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.

Ms. López’s solo concert performances include Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and selections from Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra; Rutter’s Mass of the Children with the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society; and Bach’s Magnificat, Villa-Lobos’s Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, and Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise with the UNLV Orchestra. She also recently performed a Spanish song recital with Bard SummerScape’s Song Cycle Series.

Ms. López was awarded First Prize and Audience Favorite in the 2014 Irene Dalis Vocal Competition. She was a semifinalist in the 2011 Loren Zachary Vocal Competition in Los Angeles and won the 2012 The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions for the Utah District, advancing to the Rocky Mountain Regional Finals at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver, Colorado. Ms. López earned a Bachelor of Music degree in from University of Nevada, Las Vegas.