HOPE BRIGGS
lirico spinto soprano
Hope Briggs, a native of New Jersey, drew a rave review from Opera News for her San Francisco Opera debut as the Duchess of Parma in Busoni’s Doktor Faust “… Hope Briggs was stellar, delivering one of the evening’s highlights with her lusciously intoned, lovelorn aria.”
Most recently, she sang Micaëla in Carmen with Festival Opera as well as Ava in Gareth William’s Rocking Horse Winner and Odessa Clay in D.J. Sparr’s Approaching Ali with Opéra Louisiane. She also portayed Lucinda in Opera San José’s workshop of Jake Heggie’s newest opera, Intelligence and repeated this role in Houston Grand Opera’s workshop under Patrick Summers.
She also sang a song recital at the renowned A. Jess Shenson Recital Series at Stanford University, and Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra. In 2025, she will return to Oakland Symphony for Rachmaninoff’s The Bells.
In 2022, she appeared twice with Oakland Symphony (Michael Morgan’s Memorial Concert, Song recital in lieu of Sanctuary Road), sang John Carter’s Cantata with the Camerata California, performed selected songs from the American Songbook at the Bear Valley Music Festival, and participated in The Majesty of the Spiritual at Herbst Theater.
In previous seasons, Hope Briggs made her debut with Reno Chamber Orchestra in Beethoven’s Ah! Perfido, which she repeated with Symphony Parnassus shortly after, appeared as Marschallin in excerpts of Der Rosenkavalier with Fremont Symphony Orchestra, performed Bruckner’s Te Deum with Oakland Symphony, returned to Baton Rouge for Opéra Louisiane’s 10th Anniversary Gala, and made two important role debuts: Nedda in I Pagliacci with Festival Opera and the title role in Joplin’s Treemonisha with Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. She sang Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly with Opéra Louisiane, debuted at Carnegie Hall with the New England Symphonic Ensemble, and sang Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with the San Francisco Choral Society at Davies Symphony Hall.
As a critically acclaimed Verdi soprano, Ms. Briggs is known for the depth and beauty of her voluptuous voice, and was hailed as “an artist of vocal sensitivity, theatrical wisdom and integrity.” Her commanding stage presence and moving interpretations have brought her to great success singing the title role in Aida with Nevada Opera, Sacramento Opera, and Cedar Rapids Opera, Leonora in Il Trovatore with El Paso Opera, Opera Roanoke, and Festival Opera of Walnut Creek as well as Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera also with Festival Opera of Walnut Creek.
Other career highlights include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, both at Frankfurt Opera, the Duchess of Parma in Busoni’s Doktor Faust at Staatstheater Stuttgart, the role of Paula in the world premiere of Hector Armienta’s River of Women/Rio de Mujeres with Theater Artaud San Francisco, Donna Elvira with Opera San José and Opera Company of Brooklyn, Serena in Porgy and Bess with Tulsa Opera and New Orleans Opera as well as the title role in Suor Angelica with Pacific Repertory Opera and Opera Company of Brooklyn.
Ms. Briggs is featured nationally on PBS performing the role of Emma Hyers in the multiple award-winning documentary film Voices for Freedom, The Hyers Sisters’ Legacy.
Hope Briggs is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions National Finalist, Metropolitan Opera International Vocal Competition Award Winner, and recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation. She is also an ABC KGO-TV 2012 African American Salutes Honoree, Marion Anderson Historical Society Scholar, and a 2013 Heritage Keeper Award Recipient from Friends of Negro Spirituals.
