Andrea NÚÑez

Praised for her "blinding brilliance," Canadian Soprano Andrea Núñez is establishing herself as a versatile young artist. Upcoming this season, Núñez looks forward to returns to Opéra de Montréal for Puccini’s La bohème (Musetta) and Pacific Opera Victoria for Portman’s The Little Prince (Water). Recently, Andrea marked several role and company debuts, including Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Edmonton Opera, and Elvira in Verdi’s Ernani with Voicebox: Opera in Concert.

The 2022/2023 season saw Andrea make her debut with Pacific Opera Victoria, singing Frasquita in their production of Bizet’s Carmen, and a return to Toronto Operetta Theatre for Adele in Die Fledermaus, where she was praised for her “sexy, funny” characterization (OperaRamblings) and “brilliant colouratura” (BarczaBlog). She also debuted Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette with Opéra du Royaume and Violetta in Verdi’s La traviata with Brott Opera in the Spring/Summer season of that year. She recently completed a residency at National Sawdust, working with celebrated librettist Royce Vavrek and composer Vivian Fung on a cycle of songs centred on her identity and experiences as a multi-racial Canadian, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

In 21/22, Andrea opened Opéra de Montréal’s season with a double bill of Vaughn-Williams’ Riders to the Sea and Labrosse’s Flambeau de la nuit. She rejoined the company for their production of Barrie Kosky’s The Magic Flute as First Lady. The season also saw the premiere of Toronto Operetta Theatre’s A Waltz Dream, with Núñez in the lead role of Princess Helene.

Ms. Núñez is an alumna of l'Atelier Lyrique de l'Opera de Montréal, where she performed the roles of the Page in Rigoletto, Woglinde in Das Rheingold, and Alice B. Toklas in Ricky Ian Gordon's 27. She also performed the roles of the Governess in The Turn of the Screw in collaboration with the Orchestre de l'Agora and Giulia in La Scala di seta in collaboration with the Orchestre symphonique de la Vallée-du-Haut-Saint-Laurent.

In 2018, Ms. Núñez returned to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for her second year as a Gerdine Young Artist and was a recipient of a Richard Gaddes Career Award. That season, she went on to create the role of Pvt. Sonia Gonzalez in the world premiere of Huang Ruo & David Henry Hwang's An American Soldier. During her first year at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Ms. Núñez performed the role of Butterfly's Cousin in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and she covered the role of Rosasharn in Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath.

In June 2015, Ms. Núñez joined the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist Program where she had her American debut as Monterone’s Daughter/Page in Rigoletto. She also created the role of Laura in the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain. In Canada that season, she toured Ontario and Quebec performing the role of Norina in Don Pasquale as part of the Jeunesses Musicales Canada Emerging Artist Tour. Additional training was received through Calgary Opera’s McPhee Young Artist Program, where she balanced cover assignments and mainstage debuts as Papagena in The Magic Flute and the Page in Rigoletto.

A participant in many national and international competitions, Ms. Núñez represented Canada at the Queen Sonja International Music Competition in Norway, was a semi-finalist at the Voix Nouvelles competition in Massy, France, and a District Finalist (Buffalo/Toronto District) at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She received the Roberta Peters Award from the George London Foundation, won the Toronto Mozart Project Vocal Competition, is a Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyrique Laureate, and a finalist in the Canadian Opera Company's Centre Stage Competition.

Ms. Núñez completed her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at the University of Western Ontario under the tutelage of Jackalyn Short, and went on to complete her Master of Music in Opera Performance at the University of Toronto under the instruction of Nathalie Paulin. She currently studies with Ariane Girard in Montréal. An artist with many facets, she has 11 years of dance training in various styles including ballet, jazz, tap, and lyrical. She is of Peruvian and Chinese heritage and is fluent in Spanish.

August 2024

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