Soprano, Marsha Thompson has gained attention for her voice most recently as the First Prize Winner of the Opera Orchestra of New York, 2014 Vocal Competition. She was also a finalist and grant award recipient in the 2013 Altamura Caruso International Voice Competition in New York City, singing Ernani, involami, to a thunderous reception. Highly applauded by The New York Times for her “…stellar performance of Violetta…revealing a warm agile soprano…who sang and acted expressively throughout the evening,” Ms. Thompson has received further accolades for her performances of Mimì in La Bohème and Bess in Porgy and Bess. Her featured repertoire now includes Liù in Turandot, Leonora in Il Trovatore, Isabelle in Robert le Diable, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and Marguerite in Faust.
This season Ms. Thompson has performed the role Harriet Tubman with American Opera Projects, she was an invited soloist to the Harare International Festival of Arts in Harare, Zimbabwe and later this summer she is a featured guest soloist in concert with the Altamura Center for the Arts, Orchestra at Round Top, NY where she will sing excerpts from Il Trovatore and Faust.
Ms. Thompson has been seen in opera productions with New York City Opera as Treemonisha in 2011, as Betty Shabazz in The Life and Times of X in 2010, and as Bess in the highly acclaimed 2002 production of Porgy and Bess. She has also sung Bess in a co-production with Piedmont Opera in North Carolina and Opera Carolina to which she received a review in Classical Voice of North Carolina, stating…“Soprano Thompson was simply the finest Bess we have yet seen and heard.” Her operatic performances also include Violetta in La Traviata with Mississippi Opera and New York Grand Opera in Central Park. She has performed Tosca with Opera Festival di Roma after which Ms. Thompson gave an interview with MTV Spain regarding the performance at the historic Basilica di Santa Maria della Neve al Colosseo. As Mimì with Opera Festival di Roma and Houston Ebony Opera Guild at Miller Outdoor Theater and The Woodlands Pavilion, Ms. Thompson was regarded by The Houston Chronicle as “…crucial to the evening’s performance...[having sung] with great emotional depth and technical fineness.” She made her European debut as Aida in Franco Zeffirelli's new production of Aida in Milan-Piccolo Teatro a LaScala, as a part of Italy's Verdi Centennial Celebrations in conjunction with La Fondazione Teatro Regio di Parma. Other featured roles include... Imogene-Il Pirata, Suzel- L’amico Fritz, Blanche- Dialogues des Carmélites, Manon, Ana Bolena, and Elettra-Indomeneo.
In concert, Ms. Thompson was a featured soloist with North Carolina Symphony Orchestra and San Antonio Symphony Orchestra as Bess in the Porgy and Bess Orchestral Concert Suite, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven Symphony #9 and Bachianas Brasileiras, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra’s Opera Gala Concert, and as a guest soloist in gala concerts with Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and Galveston Symphony Orchestra.
Also, Ms. Thompson is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards from The Metropolitan Opera National Council, The Metropolitan Opera National Council South West Region, The Gerda Lissner Foundation, George London Foundation, Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, Opera Index Society, Career Bridges Foundation, Rehfuss Singer Actor Competition, Fort Worth Opera Competition, and the National Society of Arts and Letters.
Ms. Thompson completed her musical education at The University of Houston Moores School of Music, with a Bachelor Degree of Music in both vocal and violin performance. After graduating from U of H, she was a guest artist with Lyric Opera Chicago Center for American Artists for two seasons. Her continued musical studies were at Music Academy of the West, and AIMS- American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Ms. Thompson currently resides in New York City.
This season Ms. Thompson has performed the role Harriet Tubman with American Opera Projects, she was an invited soloist to the Harare International Festival of Arts in Harare, Zimbabwe and later this summer she is a featured guest soloist in concert with the Altamura Center for the Arts, Orchestra at Round Top, NY where she will sing excerpts from Il Trovatore and Faust.
Ms. Thompson has been seen in opera productions with New York City Opera as Treemonisha in 2011, as Betty Shabazz in The Life and Times of X in 2010, and as Bess in the highly acclaimed 2002 production of Porgy and Bess. She has also sung Bess in a co-production with Piedmont Opera in North Carolina and Opera Carolina to which she received a review in Classical Voice of North Carolina, stating…“Soprano Thompson was simply the finest Bess we have yet seen and heard.” Her operatic performances also include Violetta in La Traviata with Mississippi Opera and New York Grand Opera in Central Park. She has performed Tosca with Opera Festival di Roma after which Ms. Thompson gave an interview with MTV Spain regarding the performance at the historic Basilica di Santa Maria della Neve al Colosseo. As Mimì with Opera Festival di Roma and Houston Ebony Opera Guild at Miller Outdoor Theater and The Woodlands Pavilion, Ms. Thompson was regarded by The Houston Chronicle as “…crucial to the evening’s performance...[having sung] with great emotional depth and technical fineness.” She made her European debut as Aida in Franco Zeffirelli's new production of Aida in Milan-Piccolo Teatro a LaScala, as a part of Italy's Verdi Centennial Celebrations in conjunction with La Fondazione Teatro Regio di Parma. Other featured roles include... Imogene-Il Pirata, Suzel- L’amico Fritz, Blanche- Dialogues des Carmélites, Manon, Ana Bolena, and Elettra-Indomeneo.
In concert, Ms. Thompson was a featured soloist with North Carolina Symphony Orchestra and San Antonio Symphony Orchestra as Bess in the Porgy and Bess Orchestral Concert Suite, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven Symphony #9 and Bachianas Brasileiras, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra’s Opera Gala Concert, and as a guest soloist in gala concerts with Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and Galveston Symphony Orchestra.
Also, Ms. Thompson is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards from The Metropolitan Opera National Council, The Metropolitan Opera National Council South West Region, The Gerda Lissner Foundation, George London Foundation, Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, Opera Index Society, Career Bridges Foundation, Rehfuss Singer Actor Competition, Fort Worth Opera Competition, and the National Society of Arts and Letters.
Ms. Thompson completed her musical education at The University of Houston Moores School of Music, with a Bachelor Degree of Music in both vocal and violin performance. After graduating from U of H, she was a guest artist with Lyric Opera Chicago Center for American Artists for two seasons. Her continued musical studies were at Music Academy of the West, and AIMS- American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Ms. Thompson currently resides in New York City.
Awards
Opera Orchestra of New York, Vocal Competition-2014, First Prize Winner
Altamura Caruso International Voice Ompetition-2013, Grant Winner
Gerda Lissner Foundation, Grant Award Winner
Career Bridges Foundation, Full Award Winner
Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, Grant Award Winner
George London Foundation, Grant Award Winner
Rehfuss Singer Actor Competition, Orlando Opera, Grand Prize Winner
Fort Worth Opera Competition, Award Winner-2nd place
Metropolitan Opera SW Region, Award Winner and Encouragement Award
Opera Index Society, Award Winner
Enrico Caruso Awards Competition, First Prize
Links, Inc. -Young Professional in the Arts Award
Opera Companies
New York City Opera
New York Grand Opera
American Opera Projects
North Carolina Opera
Mississippi Opera
New Rome Opera Festival
Ravello Opera Festival
Piccolo LaScala/Teatro Strehler
Opera in the Heights
Houston Ebony Opera Guild
Lyric Opera Chicago-outreach
Houston Grand Opera-outreach
Opera Noire, NYC
Opera New Jersey at Florham
Symphony Orchestras
Harrisburg Symphony
Fayetteville Symphony (Arkansas)
Shreveport Symphony
AIMS Symphony Orchestra
North Carolina Symphony
San Antonio Symphony
Galveston Symphony Orchestra (as vocal soloist and orchestra member)
Institutions
University of Houston, Moores School of Music-Bachelor Degree of Music; Vocal and Violin Performance
Music Academy of the West; Santa Barbara, CA
Lyric Opera of Chicago, American Center for American Artists, Outreach Program
Houston Grand Opera, Opera in the Neighborhoods
New Opera Festival of Rome
American Institute of Musical Studies; Graz, Austria
Teachers
Michael Paul
Dr. Anat Keidar
Martina Arroyo
Debria Brown
William DeValentine
David Brewer
Coaches and Conductors
Dan Smith, Coach
David Holkeboer, Coach
Tim Shaindlin, Coach
Giovanni Reggioli, Coach
Warren Jones, Coach
William Hicks, Coach
Gary Wedow, Coach
John DeMain, Conductor
Richard Bedo, Coach and Conductor
Joseph Rescegnio , Coach and Conductor
Massimilliano Stefanelli, Conductor
Stefano Vignati, Conductor
William Henry-Curry, Conductor
Willie Waters-Conductor
Opera Orchestra of New York, Vocal Competition-2014, First Prize Winner
Altamura Caruso International Voice Ompetition-2013, Grant Winner
Gerda Lissner Foundation, Grant Award Winner
Career Bridges Foundation, Full Award Winner
Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, Grant Award Winner
George London Foundation, Grant Award Winner
Rehfuss Singer Actor Competition, Orlando Opera, Grand Prize Winner
Fort Worth Opera Competition, Award Winner-2nd place
Metropolitan Opera SW Region, Award Winner and Encouragement Award
Opera Index Society, Award Winner
Enrico Caruso Awards Competition, First Prize
Links, Inc. -Young Professional in the Arts Award
Opera Companies
New York City Opera
New York Grand Opera
American Opera Projects
North Carolina Opera
Mississippi Opera
New Rome Opera Festival
Ravello Opera Festival
Piccolo LaScala/Teatro Strehler
Opera in the Heights
Houston Ebony Opera Guild
Lyric Opera Chicago-outreach
Houston Grand Opera-outreach
Opera Noire, NYC
Opera New Jersey at Florham
Symphony Orchestras
Harrisburg Symphony
Fayetteville Symphony (Arkansas)
Shreveport Symphony
AIMS Symphony Orchestra
North Carolina Symphony
San Antonio Symphony
Galveston Symphony Orchestra (as vocal soloist and orchestra member)
Institutions
University of Houston, Moores School of Music-Bachelor Degree of Music; Vocal and Violin Performance
Music Academy of the West; Santa Barbara, CA
Lyric Opera of Chicago, American Center for American Artists, Outreach Program
Houston Grand Opera, Opera in the Neighborhoods
New Opera Festival of Rome
American Institute of Musical Studies; Graz, Austria
Teachers
Michael Paul
Dr. Anat Keidar
Martina Arroyo
Debria Brown
William DeValentine
David Brewer
Coaches and Conductors
Dan Smith, Coach
David Holkeboer, Coach
Tim Shaindlin, Coach
Giovanni Reggioli, Coach
Warren Jones, Coach
William Hicks, Coach
Gary Wedow, Coach
John DeMain, Conductor
Richard Bedo, Coach and Conductor
Joseph Rescegnio , Coach and Conductor
Massimilliano Stefanelli, Conductor
Stefano Vignati, Conductor
William Henry-Curry, Conductor
Willie Waters-Conductor