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A DC-BASED COMPANY, and at our core:
DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING ORIGINAL WORKS OF MUSIC-THEATRE,
FOSTERING ARTISTS IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT,
AND ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY IN PARTNERSHIP
Changing the Conversation Through the Arts
Melisa Bonetti
Dominican-American Mezzo-Soprano, Melisa Bonetti, is a versatile singer whose experience encompasses both classical and new works including premieres… and we are pleased to invite her as a Company Artist and Principal in the opera On the Road to Arivaca.
Bonetti has shown her skills and versatility in many traditional operas and major concert works. Exciting highlights in her upcoming 2022-2023 season include mezzo-soprano soloist at Carnegie Hall for the Bach Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio with the Cecilia Chorus of NY.
But she is happiest when she gets the opportunity to have a voice in the creation of new works, including genre-fusion productions -- jazz-operas, rock-operas, Latino-operas, pop-operas, hip-hop/classical fusion pieces, and more. Her passion lies in diversity of musical influences and helping choose and bring focus to whose stories are being told.
In 2023, she will be one of four principals in the chamber opera On the Road to Arivaca by composer Rosino Serrano and librettist Susan Galbraith with the Alliance for New Music-Theatre. In an interview July of 2022 for the Arivaca workshop, she was quoted as saying, “Thank you for writing this story and this music. An opera with a bluesy aria – this is the reason I’m on Earth, my very existence!”
The upcoming scene will highlight her voice in another opera premiere: A Marvelous Order by Judd Greenstein.
Bonetti has been hailed by Opera today as “a warm, supple mezzo that struck all the right impressions” and as “commanding a wonderful presence in the lower middle voice but also easily soaring heavenward with a well-schooled top.” She is committed to the importance of equality and diversity within the artistic world, which she feels can strongly be served through connecting with the youth. She has dived into work as an educator in various musical outreach and community programs throughout the NYC area and will serve as Mentor to New Music-Theatre’s Coro de la comunidad.
Previous seasons included Zerlina in Don Giovanni- "Melisa Bonetti as the peasant Zerlina is a standout, vocally and in her charismatic characterization," - Richmond Times, Olga Olsen in Street Scene, and in new works as Eva in An American Dream, Johanna in Breaking, and Autumn in Service Provider, all with Virginia Opera. She revisited the role of Tyler in Three Way with Shreveport Opera, which she premiered with Nashville Opera and American Opera Projects, the latter being at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and sung in the Grammy nominated original cast recording. Melisa's recent engagements prove her capacity for putting over stunning interpretations of cross-over works, including Anita in Bernstein's West Side Story with the Brott Music Festival in Ontario; a rock opera premiere, The Bradbury Tattoos, with Concert Nova; her first Russian role as Marta in Tchaikovsky's Iolanta with Queen City Opera; and a concert tour of arias in Bologna, Italy after being invited back from completing the International Voice Masterclass Ebe Stignani program.
Recent performances include Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor with Virginia Opera, Die Knusperhexe in Hansel und Gretel with Union Avenue Opera, Mercedes in Carmen with Nashville Opera & Opera Columbus. Opera premieres include Tyler in Three Way in collaboration with Nashville Opera and American Opera Projects, in Nashville and then at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, including the original cast album. Bonetti performed Lilith in Dracula and Bloodlines with the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, Clare in A Woman in Morocco with Kentucky Opera, and Emelda in Champion (workshop) in collaboration with Cincinnati Opera.
Go to her website to see her many other opera and concert credits https://www.melisabonettimezzo.com/
Ms. Bonetti completed her Master’s at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and her Bachelor's at Queens College's Aaron Copland School of Music in New York. She also attended the inaugural I Sing Beijing program now known as SING!, as well as the Wolf Trap studio artist program.