About

Mexican mezzo-soprano Claudia Chapa is a versatile performer in high demand nationwide. In 2019, Mrs. Chapa made her Houston Grand Opera debut, originating the role of Josefina in the world premiere of El Milagro del Recuerdo, a role which she reprised at Arizona Opera (debut) in 2021, the encore performances at Houston Grand Opera in 2022 and in 2023 with San Diego Opera.

 

This season, Chapa will be the featured mezzo soloist for Opera Southwest's New Year's Eve Gala and has roles and company debuts: Lupita (debut) in Cruzar la Cara de la Luna with Austin Opera, Ruth (debut) in Pirates of the Penzance with Opera San Antonio and reprises the role of Gertrude in Romeo & Juliet with Dallas Opera (debut). She will also perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra (debut).

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Last season, she debuted Fricka and Waltraute in Virginia Opera's production of Wagner's The Valkyrie, returned to the role of Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at Austin Opera, made her San Diego Opera company debut singing the role of Zita in Gianni Schicchi, and debuted the role of Gertrude (Roméo et Juliette) with Opera San Antonio. Chapa was a featured soloist for Austin Opera's (Bella Noche de Música), where she served as a curator and co-producer. Bella Noche de Música is currently streaming on PBS nationwide.

 

In addition to her active performing career, Chapa is a concert curator specializing in Hispanic/Latinx programming. Chapa participated in a concert she co-curated entitled Entre Amigos, which opened Fort Worth Opera’s historic 75th Season. She was recently appointed inaugural Curator of Hispanic and Latinx programming for the Austin Opera.  She also curates Concerts at the Consulate/Conciertos en el Consulado in the new partnership between Austin Opera and the Mexican Consulate.

 

Previous season, Mrs. Chapa made company and role debuts as Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin with The Dallas Symphony conducted by Maestro Fabio Luisi, debuted Mother Superior in Charlottesville Opera's The Sound of Music, and performed the Title Role in Douglas Pew’s Penny in her debut with Opera Grand Rapids; Additional roles include Fenena (Nabucco) with West Bay Opera; her “powerful” Azucena (Il trovatore) with St. Petersburg Opera Company, Winter Opera St. Louis, and Opera in Williamsburg; Ortrud (Lohengrin) and Hedwige (William Tell) with Opera Southwest; Mary (The Flying Dutchman) and Dryade (Ariadne auf Naxos) with Austin Opera;  Fairy Godmother in the US premiere of Alma Deutscher’s Cinderella with Opera San Jose; Berta (Il barbiere di Sivigilia) with Opera San Antonio; Zita (Gianni Schicchi) with Opera San Diego, St. Petersburg Opera and Opera Delaware; Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica) with St. Petersburg Opera; Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro) with Charlottesville Opera and Opera Delaware; Ulrica (Un ballo in maschera), her “purring, inky” Madame Flora (The Medium) and The Witch (Hänsel und Gretel) with Opera in the Heights; her “hilarious” Dame Quickly (Falstaff) with Winter Opera St. Louis and Opera in the Heights; Marthe (Faust) with Indianapolis Opera; Third Lady (Die Zauberflӧte) with The Glimmerglass Festival and Austin Lyric Opera; and Alisa (Lucia di Lammermoor) with Opera San Antonio. 

Claudia remains an active concert performer; recent highlights include recording Handel’s Messiah with the Royal Philharmonic at the famed Abbey Roads Studios; a return to Alabama Symphony as featured soloist in El amor brujo (de Falla) and Neruda Songs (Lieberson); mezzo soloist for Verdi’s Requiem, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and Handel’s Messiah, with Alabama Symphony, DCINY, Gulf Coast Symphony, Austin Symphony, Florida Orchestra,  Evansville Philharmonic, and National Philharmonic.

 

Mrs. Chapa is a grant recipient from the Olga Forrai Foundation and studied vocal performance at the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin.