Volksoper Wien Ensemble Member 25/26

I’m finally #thrilledtoannounce that I’ll be returning to Vienna this fall to join the Volksoper Wien as a soloist in their ensemble.

This opportunity has really been a long time coming. I first encountered the Volksoper Wien in my first year in Vienna, when I was still an exchange student and learning the German language. As part of an excursion for my German class, we went and saw Jacques Offenbach’s König Karotte (The Carrot King) at the iconic pink Volksoper house and discussed the show afterwards — I could barely understand the show due to my minimal German, but I remember it being very colourful! A couple months later, I would audition for and be the only student from my university to be chosen to join the first edition of the Volksoper’s Opernstudio, an opportunity I would eventually turn down in order to continue my studies at The Juilliard School. Barely a month into starting at Juilliard, I would be invited to sing Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro in Vienna, marking my house, role and professional operatic debut. It was also an opportunity to see my parents for the first time in three years, and for them to see me doing what I love most. During this run, the team at Volksoper chose to cast me as Maria in their upcoming new production of West Side Story, which I ultimately had to turn down again for visa and academic concerns. An offer to join the Volksoper ensemble would come, but I had already signed my contract to join Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center by that point.

Finally, fast forward to September 2025, I was once again offered the opportunity to be a part of the Volksoper Wien family and be a soloist in their ensemble. After many thoughts, dreams, discussions and tears, I ultimately decided it was time for me to return to Vienna.

I am so grateful for the patience and persistence of the leadership at Volksoper, and for trusting, supporting and believing in me, so much that they continue to reach out, again and again. I am absolutely so excited to learn and perform new roles, in both operatic and musical theatre repertoire. I am delighted to join many of my American friends who have moved to Europe, as well as re-join my peers from my undergraduate studies. I hope to find time to return to the States as often as I can, as I leave behind loved ones, colleagues and mentors who I care for dearly.

I will be opening the season as Maria in intendant Lotte de Beer’s West Side Story, finally getting to perform the role that I should have performed over a year ago. I will make two Mozart debuts as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro. I am so excited to play the iconic Adele in Die Fledermaus; performing this Viennese operetta for the Viennese audience will be a real treat! And to top it off, I will get to return to my musical theatre roots and perform the role of Wendla in a new production of Spring Awakening. It will be a huge season, but I am so looking forward to this new phase in my career, with all the joys and challenges that may come with it.