Gabrielle Barkidjija

NYC and Chicago based mezzo-soprano Gabrielle Barkidjija excels in operatic, concert, and choral settings, and is an avid performer of new music and rarely-performed works. She has sung numerous world and regional premieres and has commissioned several solo and ensemble works.

This season, Gabrielle will perform as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Copland In The Beginning with Cantori New York at the Church of the Holy Apostles and Lincoln Center under the baton of Mark Shapiro, and will be a Studio Artist with Sarasota Opera where she will cover the role of Rosina IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and will sing the role of Dorotea STIFFELIO and a variety of concert programs.

Recent engagements include Dodo in Missy Mazzoli BREAKING THE WAVES with Detroit Opera and her Carnegie Hall Debut as the mezzo-soprano soloist in the world premiere of Daron Hagen Everyone, Everywhere with The Cecilia Chorus of New York. This past winter she participated in Carnegie Hall Songstudio under the mentorship of Renée Fleming, and this summer, she returned to the Aspen Music Festival as a Renée Fleming Artist where she sang the role of Marcellina LE NOZZE DI FIGARO.

Ms. Barkidjija was a Resident Artist with Detroit Opera for the company’s 2022-2023 season. She made her mainstage debut as the Voice of the Fountain AINADAMAR, as well as covering the roles of Siebel FAUST, Arsamenes XERXES, and Lorca AINADAMAR. She also reprised the role of Dorabella COSI FAN TUTTE with the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, and appeared in several concert programs.

Ms. Barkidjija has been a young artist with several summer festivals and companies, including the Tanglewood Music Center, the Merola Opera Program, Central City Opera, and the Aspen Opera Center. Throughout her education at these young artist programs as well as at university, Gabrielle performed many operatic roles, including Zosia/Wala TWO REMAIN, Dorabella COSI FAN TUTTE, Brittomara IF I WERE YOU, Ada Lovelace THE INFINITE ENERGY OF ADA LOVELACE, Fanny Price MANSFIELD PARK, Proserpina ORFEO, Captain DOG DAYS, Beatrice BEATRICE ET BENEDICT, Mrs. Grose TURN OF THE SCREW, Zerlina DON GIOVANNI, Nora RIDERS TO THE SEA, Mother Marie DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES and Estelle Oglethorpe LATER THE SAME EVENING.

Equally comfortable in the concert setting, Ms. Barkidjija has performed a variety of works with orchestra and other ensembles. She has performed as the mezzo-soprano soloist for Hagen Everyone, Everywhere, Alma Mahler Vier Lieder, Ravel Chansons Madécasses, Beethoven 9th Symphony, Leonard Bernstein Jeremiah Symphony, Ades America: A Prophecy, Anna Thorvaldsdottir Ad Genua, and Handel Messiah. She has also sung with The Crossing Choir, a GRAMMY-winning contemporary choral ensemble conducted by Donald Nally, most notably singing in the world premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Fire in my Mouth with the New York Philharmonic.

Ms. Barkidjija has earned top awards from many organizations, including the Gerda Lissner Foundation Lieder Competition, the Camille Coloratura Awards, the Rochester International Vocal Competition, the Premiere Opera Foundation, the Young Patronesses of the Opera Competition, the Orpheus Vocal Competition, the National Opera Association Competition, the Classical Singer Competition, and the Metropolitan Opera Dominique Laffont Competition. She was awarded the Phyllis Curtin Award by Boston University in recognition of her outstanding artistic growth and commitment to excellence, and was awarded a full-merit scholarship to complete her graduate studies at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. She also was awarded the Paderewski Medal for piano performance at age fifteen.

Ms. Barkidjija is originally from River Forest, Illinois and currently resides in New York, New York.