Praised by The New York Times for her “plummy, penetrating voice,” Italian-American soprano Maria Natale is the recipient of many awards and grants from some of the most prestigious vocal competitions nationwide including the National James Collier Vocal Competition, the Elizabeth Connell Prize in Sydney, Australia, the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition as well as a grand finalist in the Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition.
Recently, Ms. Natale made debuts at Tulsa Opera as Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly and at Opera San Jose as Nedda in Pagliacci, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. Other engagements have included Violetta in La Traviata with Opera Maine under conductor Stephen Lord (where Opera News reported that, “her powerful soprano easily filled the house,”) and her Sarasota Opera début portraying the role of Liù in Turandot where she was hailed as having an “unequivocal Italian sound” (New Outpost).
As a concert soloist, Ms. Natale has been featured at Carnegie Hall in Faure’s Requiem and Mozart’s Missa Solemnis with MidAmerica Productions. She has also appeared as the soprano soloist with the NYC Master Chorale in Dvorak’s Te Deum and Mozart’s Requiem. Ms. Natale is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where she performed the role of Lady Macbeth in Ernest Bloch’s only opera Macbeth and was praised by Opera News for her “high voltage vocal thrills” and “merciless stage presence.”
