About Maria Brea
Maria Brea, soprano, is one of Venezuela's most acclaimed opera singers. Praised for being a "very classy Venezuelan soprano" by The Arts Desk, ”versatile soprano” by Tampa Bay and “luxurious soprano" by Opera Wire and as Micaela; “her lush tones and thrilling diminuendos were warmly received” by The Brooklyn Reporter. Ms. Brea’s signature roles include: Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto, Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, Musetta in Puccini's La Bohème, Agrippina by Handel, Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Elena in Giménez's El Barbero de Sevilla where she was awarded Best Musical Actress given by the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors. Ms. Brea is a fine recitalist and promoter of art song as well as an avid Oratorio singer. Maria has performed throughout the world, from Cardiff to Paris, stunning her audiences with her exciting renditions, sparkling clarity and dazzling range.
Ms. Brea starts her 2023-2024 season reprising one of her most performed roles, Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen at the Hogfish Festival in Maine with a star rising cast. In the fall of 2023 she will be perfoming the role of Clomiri in Handel's adaptation of Imeneo with Opera Essentia in New York City with a baroque specialized 415 ensemble, she also makes her debut with Arizona Opera in the role of Ana Maria in Zorro. She returns to the University of Notre Dame to sing a recital accompanied by Israeli pianist Dror Baitel. In December 2023, Maria makes her awaited debut with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra singing Handel's Messiah, an adaptation in Spanish under the baton of Maestro Tito Muñoz. In January 2024 you will hear her with Vero Beach Opera in her return to the role of Donna Anna with a stellar cast. Maria makes her Canadian debut performing Odaline Martinez: Four Afro-Cuban poems with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.
In the 2022-23 season Ms. Brea represented Venezuela in the prestigious Operalia. She started the season singing the role of Lucette in L'arbre Enchanté with the Hogfish Music Festival under the baton of the Ryan McAdams. Maria returned to the American Spirtual Ensemble for their New Orleans Opera recital where she was a distinguished soloist under the baton of Maestro Everett McCorvey. Additionally, Maria returned in December 2022 to The World Renowed Carnegie Hall to make her debut singing Handel's Messiah with the prestigious Oratorio Society of New York under the baton of Kent Tritle. She made a reprise of Messiah and her debut with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in December 2022. In January 2023 Maria made debut with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra singing her very first Beethoven 9th under the masterful leadership of Maestro Jose Luis Gomez. Ms. Brea made her debut with
the Amadeus Ensemble doing an All Mozart concert. She did her Mahler Symphony No. 2 debut with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra as a last minute schedule addition, ten days later she made her Boston debut with Boston Philharmonic singing
Mahler Symphony No. 2 at Symphony Hall with the legendary conductor Benjamin Zander. Maria made her Schubert Club's debut in Saint Paul, Minnesota along with the Jasper Quartet in a premiere of award winning Venezuelan composer Reinaldo Moya; In addition, she was headlining at the Schubert Club's 140th season which also featured legendary mezzo-soprano Anne Sophie von Otter. Maria makes her debut at The
Metropolitan Opera in their American Ballet production of Like Water for Chocolate in June 2023.
In season 2021- 2022, Maria treated her audiences with her performance of Norina in “Donizetti's Don Pasquale” with The Barn Opera and was praised for " a voice that mixes brilliance and richness" . Maria makes a firey debut at the World Famous Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall with the stunning sound of the Cecilia Chorus of New York singing the Soprano Solo in Orff's Carmina Burana under the baton of Maestro Mark Shapiro.
Ms. Brea, most recently achieved First Place the Metropolitan Opera District of Philadelphia 2022. Ms. Brea was a Finalist of the Paris Opera Competition where she sang at the World Renowned Palais Garnier in 2022. With a single day’s notice, she was asked to performed as soloist and delivered two incredible performances of Franz Haydn's Creation Oratorio accompanied by The Richmond Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestra Erin Freeman.
Maria stunned audiences in her performance of Gilda in Rigoletto in Pittsburgh under the baton of Maestra Maria Sensi Sellner at Resonance works in which Onstage Pittsburgh said "Her voice is gloriously luxurious". This summer 2022 Maria covers the role of Margaret Herschel in Southern Crossings a work by Syrian award winner composer Zaid Jabri.
She recently performed at the World Renown BBC Cardiff competition in the UK June 2021.
Maria startled her audience as Nedda in the New Camerata Opera production of “Cav+Pag” this September 2021 which was celebrated by Opera News, who said, “Maria Brea was an absolute delight as Nedda, …demonstrating a natural theatrical instinct. She also has a lovely voice.” She appeared in several recitals in NYC in 2021 as well as recorded with composers; Felix Jarrar and Rachel DeVore Fogary.
Maria’s wonderful performance in December 2020 as Olga in Giordano's Fedora with Teatro Grattacielo, left her audiences absolutely excited. She placed with a 6th prize in the Vinas competition and a Special “Zarzuela” prize for the best “Zarzuela” singer and was of only six winners who sang in the orchestra concert for the winners at Teatro Liceu de Barcelona. In 2020 Maria Brea was to performeas Frasquita in Carmen at Rose Theater at The World Renowed Lincoln Center with MasterVoices - COVID19 cancellation.
In 2019, Maria earned the title “Eva and Stern Fellow” at Songfest and made her debut accompanied by The Queens Symphony Orchestra in their Night at the Opera concert series. She earned second prize in the Opera Cultura Vocal Competition 2019 and an “Encouragement Award” from the Gerda Lissner Song/Lieder Competition.
Maria stunned audiences performing the title role in Maestro Anton Coppola's Lady Swanwhite, a world premiere. In winter 2018, Maria sang the role of Raquel in the world premiere of the opera El Rey Nacio in New York City and earned a standing ovation in her debut as Musetta in La Bohème performing with the New York Concert Opera.
Maria performed in a recital as part of the St. Hugh Steinway series in Miami, Florida. She performed the role of Nannetta in Verdi’s Falstaff in Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance. Ms. Brea performed with the West Bay Opera in her role of Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen Spring 2018.
Brea’s father, a music teacher and Cuatro player, taught her Venezuelan folk music from an early age. Maria is a co-founder of the instagram platform Latina Women in Opera and a Spanish Diction expert at DictionBuddy.com. Maria holds a Bachelor Degree in Music with The Manhattan School of Music and a Masters Degree in Music at the World Renowned Juilliard School.