Melissa co-produced and performed in “Liebesgarten: A celebration of Robert and Clara Schumann’s life told in song and prose”, a concert showcasing works by both composers at Elgin Art Showcase, Elgin, IL and at The Morton Grove Public Library, Morton Grove, IL.
Melissa has performed with companies including The Song Set Chicago, New Brew Chicago, Opera on Tap Chicago, Opera on Tap New Hampshire, and South Shore Opera Company (SSOC). With SSOC she was a soloist in the concert “Opera at the Movies”. She sang arias with orchestra including “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and sang as Maddalena in “Bella figlia dell’amore” from Verdi’s Rigoletto at the South Shore Cultural Center. M.L Rantala, classical music critic from Hyde Park Review, described her performance as “solid”. Also with SSOC at the South Shore Cultural Center, Melissa performed as an abolitionist in the ensemble of the opera “Harriet Tubman, When I Crossed That Line to Freedom” by Nkieru Okoye.
Her operatic roles include the sassy duchess Fanette in Milton Granger’s comic opera Bluebeard’s Waiting Room at Roosevelt University’s Murray-Green Library. She also performed as goddesses Venere and Pallade in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea at the Studebaker Theatre, Chicago, IL with Chicago College of Performing Arts.
New music projects include performing songs by New York based composer Ellen Mandel with New Brew Chicago at Heartland Cafe’s Redline Tap; performing songs by Felicity Mazur-Park and Patrick Greene in Seully Hall at Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music.
Melissa’s education includes a Master’s Degree at Chicago College of Performing Arts and a Bachelor’s Degree at Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music. She has also attended OperaWorks, Granada Hills, CA and Opera Viva in Verona, Italy.
When Melissa is not performing or teaching, you can find her outdoors going on long running adventures, hiking, crafting, and dancing.
