Possessing a thrilling versatility that is equally at home on opera, concert and recital stages, Greek-American mezzo soprano Stephanie Chigas’ voice has been hailed as “…rich and full of the promise of things to come.” Ms. Chigas has performed with great success such roles as Carmen LA TRAGÉDIE DE CARMEN, Lucretia THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA, the title role in Bizet’s CARMEN, Nicklausse LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN, Dorabella COSÌ FAN TUTTE and Hansel HANSEL UND GRETEL. For her performances as Carmen, Joseph McLellen of the Washington Post wrote, “Top honors on opening night went to Stephanie Chigas, who had the best voice and explored Carmen’s earthy, almost animal sensuality with a power beyond any prima donna I have seen in the role.” Recent engagements have included covering the role of Carmen for Boston Lyric Opera as well as singing the role of Mercedes in the same production, Second Maid in Strauss’ ELEKTRA with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Maestro Lorin Maazel, Octavian DER ROSENKAVALIER with Sinfonia da Camera, and Carmen LA TRAGÉDIE DE CARMEN as part of the InCite Festival at NYC’s New World Stages. Ms. Chigas also was featured in an Opera Gala performance in Barbados with the Holder’s Season.
Ms. Chigas has performed with the Santa Fe Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Midsummer Opera, Olney Theatre Center and was engaged by the New York City Opera to cover the role of Leda THE MINES OF SULPHUR. Ms. Chigas sang the role of La Sphinge in the North American Premiere of George Enescu’s opera OEDIPE with Sinfona da Camera. She has performed with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra on many occasions, most recently as Dorabella COSÌ FAN TUTTE.
Ms. Chigas’ concert performances have included Duruflè Requiem, Mozart Coronation Mass and Requiem at Carnegie Hall. She has also has performed Verdi Requiem, Brahms Alto Rhapsody and Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Handel Messiah, Mendelssohn Elijah, Beethoven Choral Fantasie and Mass in C and Mahler Symphony No. 2 “The Resurrection”.
Ms. Chigas is the winner of the 2005 George London Foundation Competition and is the 2004 recipient of the Stephen Shrestinian Award for Excellence awarded through the Boston Lyric Opera. She was a 2003 National Semi-Finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Second Place Winner in the New England Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2005. She has also received awards from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, Illinois Opera Theater, Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Foundation, Dimitri Mitropoulos International Competition for Singing, the John and Fern Armstrong Outstanding Performance Award and the Greek Women’s University Club.
Ms. Chigas studied at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and at Boston University’s Opera Institute.
