Laura Zupa D’Avella (soprano)

Ms. D’Avella made her professional debut last June as Inez in Verdi’s Il Trovatore with New Jersey State Opera (NJSO) under the baton of Maestro Alfredo Silipigni, and last August, sang Barbarina in New Jersey Opera Theater Summer Vocal Institute’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro with Michael Recchiuti conducting. In February 2004, Ms. D’Avella covered the role of Alisa in NJSO’s production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor with Sumi Jo in the title role of the main cast. She has also performed scenes from Cendrillon (title role), Werther (Sophie) and the The Ballad of Baby Doe (First Friend) at the Crittenden Opera Workshop in Washington, D.C. She will singing with Pacific Opera (New York) in its 2006-2007 season. Ms. D’Avella received her Master’s Degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College, where she appeared as Emmy in Westminster Opera Theater’s production of Marschner’s Der Vampyr. She also sang in the “Voices” quartet in the same company’s production of Little Women. She completed her graduate work with a voice recital, performing cycles by Verdi, Larson, Honegger, and Granados, and a pedagogical paper on the effects of vocal warm-up on the voice. Ms. D’Avella holds a BA in music from Barnard College of Columbia University.