Erica Brookhyser     

   

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Program Biography

Since making her professional debut at Boston Lyric Opera in 2006, mezzo-soprano Erica Brookhyser has received consistently high praise for her musical artistry and strong acting ability. Currently based in Germany, the American singer has been the lyric mezzo-soprano soloist at Staatstheater Darmstadt since fall of 2010.  

In her first season at Darmstadt, Ms. Brookhyser performed Cherubino/Le Nozze di Figaro, Wellgunde/Das Rheingold, Waltraute/Die Walküre, Fenena/Nabucco, and Carmen.  Of her performance in Carmen, the Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote, “Combining an extraordinary stage presence and a powerful vocal interpretation, this mezzo is exemplary.”  Other roles she has performed include the title role in Cendrillon at Central City Opera, Mercédès/Carmen at Los Angeles Opera, Tisbe/La Cenerentola at Utah Opera, Myrtale/Thaïs at Boston Lyric Opera and Dorabella/Così fan tutte at New England Conservatory.  She was also the cover for Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni and Angelina/Cenerentola at Utah Opera, and for Andronico and Irene in Handel’s Tamerlano at Los Angeles Opera. Her roles in the 2011-2012 season at Darmstadt include Orfeo/Orfeo ed Euridice, Suzuki/Madama Butterfly, 2nd Lady/Die Zauberflöte, Niklas and Die Muse in Hoffmanns Erzählungen, and 2nd Norn, Wellgunde and Waltraute in Wagner's Ring. Ms. Brookhyser has collaborated with stage directors Achim Freyer, Chas Rader-Shieber, Marta Domingo, and John Dew, and with conductors James Conlon, Steuart Bedford and Keith Lockhart.

Highlights from Ms. Brookhyser’s concert artist work include the St. Matthew Passion and Mozart's C minor Mass with the Cincinnati May Festival under the baton of James Conlon, Moses und Aron with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Levine, Zarzuela and Opera Highlights with the L.A. Opera Orchestra under the baton of Plácido Domingo, Messiah with the Utah Symphony conducted by Susanne Sheston, the world premiere of Steven Sametz’s Music’s Music with the L.A. Master Chorale conducted by Grant Gershon.

Ms. Brookhyser began her performing arts training as a violinist, dancer, and musical theater actor.  After receiving a Bachelor’s in Music from University of Oregon and a Master’s in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory, she trained at the opera studios of Santa Fe Opera, Utah Opera, Central City Opera, Tanglewood Music Festival, and Los Angeles Opera’s Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program.