American dramatic soprano Heidi Melton has been called “the Wagnerian voice we have been waiting for since Flagstad and Nilsson” (La Presse), a voice that is “big, gleaming and tonally resplendent” (San Francisco Chronicle). Heidi opens the 23/24 season with a debut at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for concert performances of Cavalleria rusticana (Santuzza) conducted by James Gaffigan. Other season highlights include a debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in Erwartung and a return to Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra for Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland (Queen of Hearts).
Last season she debuted at Seattle Opera in Tristan und Isolde (Isolde). On the concert stage, she debuted with New World Symphony for a program of Wagner selections, and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic for Beethoven’s Egmont, Los Angeles Philharmonic for ristan und Isolde, and a return to San Francisco Opera for Die Frau ohne Schatten (Die Amme cover).
In previous seasons, Heidi sang at Opernhaus Zürich for Le grand macabre (Mescalina) and returned to Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe for performances of Götterdämmerung (Brünnhilde), following critically acclaimed performances of the entire Der Ring des Nibelungen. She also debuted with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and Alan Gilbert in Le grand macabre (Mescalina). Ms. Melton recently returned to the New York Philharmonic for Act I of Die Walküre (Sieglinde) and with the Dallas Symphony for complete concert performance of Die Walküre (Brünnhilde), both conducted by Jaap van Zweden. She sang Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 (Una poenitentium) with Tonkünstler Orchester and Andres Orozco-Estrada in Vienna. In New York City, she sang a recital for the George London Foundation at the Morgan Library and debuted with the London Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic in Ligeti’s Le grand macabre under Simon Rattle. She returned to the Hong Kong Philharmonic in concert performances of Siegfried (Brünnhilde) which was recorded for Naxos, debuted at Houston Grand Opera in Götterdämmerung (Gutrune), and recorded Tristan und Isolde with Valery Gergiev and the Mariisnky Orchestra.
Ms. Melton is the recipient of many prestigious awards and prizes: George London Foundation’s George London / Kirsten Flagstad Memorial Award; José Iturbi Competition; Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation; third place in the Belevedere Competition; national semi-finalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions; and winner of the Mario Lanza Competition.
