About - Jessica Gonzalez-Rodriguez

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Biography

2023

Ms. Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Mexican-American Mezzo-Soprano, is "A particular highlight" (Operawire), "Both strong of technique and elegant of presence" (New City Stage)
 
An alumnus of the 2021-2022 Chrisman Studio Artist program with Opera Santa Barbara and a three-time Opera Buffs grant recipient. Highlight engagements include Renata in Cruzar la Cara de la Luna in her mainstage debut with Opera Santa Barbara, Marcellina with the 2021 International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia where she studied with superstar Soprano, Jennifer Rowley, the role debut of Frida Kahlo in Frida with the 2019 Opera Steamboat Summer Intensive, Prince Orlofsky in Vienna, Austria with the 2019 Vienna Summer Music Festival and as Marcellina with the 2018 Prague Summer Nights Festival, in collaboration with world-renowned tenor, Lawrence Brownlee and contralto, Rosalind Plowright. 
 
She has sung the roles of Peggy in Lee Hoiby’s This is the Rill Speaking, Suor Dolcina in Suor Angelica, the Third Witch in Verdi’s
Macbeth, in The Merry Widow as Olga, Praskowia and Zozo, Antonia’s Mother and
Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffman and as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel. She performed
the role of Nancy in Albert Herring as part of the LA Opera Britten/100 celebration with
the Repertory Opera Company. She made her Chicago debut in the 2015 Chicago Summer Opera Program, in the role of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
 
After making her debut with the Redlands Opera Theatre as Siebel in their production of Faust, she was featured as a Resident Artist for their 2016-2017 season in the roles of La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi and Mercedes in Carmen.

Photography By: Matthew Holler

Her New York City debut was in the role of Hansel with the Manhattan Opera Studio in New York, as part of their summer 2016 program. She can also be seen, as a singing student in Nickelodeon’s “Parental Discretion, Episode-Singing School.” 

She was a scholarship recipient for the 2019 Opera Steamboat Summer Intensive, 2018 Prague Summer Nights Festival, and was awarded the Charles Hubbard Friends of Music Scholarship for graduate studies, as well as a Mary’s Day Excellence in Music Award for the 2007-2008 school year. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Mount Saint Mary’s College and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from California State University, Los Angeles. She studied Italian as part of the 2007 Richmond in Rome studyabroad program. After graduating, she participated in the Santa Monica College opera scenes program and was featured as Aurora in Doña Francisquita, Sesto in Giulio Cesare, covered the role of Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier.
 
She also has been a professional dancer since the age of four and is currently a
member of Kamala Almanzar’s Dance Collective bellydance troupe. For the past seven seasons she has been a volunteer Community Educator with LA Opera giving opera talks, on behalf of the company, at various school, libraries, senior and community center’s.
 
Jessica currently coaches with Douglas Sumi, Jennifer Rowley and studies voice under Reid Bruton.