Bio

Emily Fons, mezzo soprano, a native of Wisconsin, recently finished her second summer as an Apprentice Singer with the Santa Fe Opera. In Santa Fe Ms. Fons has sung Flora in La Traviata, covered the role of Meg Page in Verdi’s Falstaff, and performed the roles of Dorabella and Cendrillon in scenes from Cosi Fan Tutte and Cendrillon respectively.

Emily completed her Master’s Degree in Opera and Music Theater at Southern Illinois University. While at Southern Illinois, she sang the role of Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Angelica in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, and also performed the role of Gianetta in the Southern Illinois Music Festival’s production of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love. Emily received her undergraduate degree from Luther College where she was awarded the Brudos prize for opera performance and was heard in performances of Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Britten’s Albert Herring.

Ms. Fons has also had the good fortune of being able to perform in many settings including the University of Miami’s Summer in Salzburg program, the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute, and the Masterworks Festival where she was seen as Vitellia in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito.

Emily has received awards from Polanki the Milwaukee Polish Women’s Organization, The Milwaukee Civic Music Association, the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

2008-2009 took Emily to Indianapolis where she performed as a member of the Indianapolis Opera’s ensemble young artist program. She covered the role of Hansel in an original language production of Hänsel und Gretel in which she also sang the role of the Sandman. Ms. Fons participated in opera outreach performances throughout Indiana, and appeared as Kate in IO’s spring production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.

Emily recently was named one of the district winners in the upper midwest district Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and she will sing at the regional competition in Minneapolis in February.  Ms. Fons will be performing on a recital sponsored by the Florentine Opera in January and will be joining the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Center in April of 2010.