Melanie Sonnenberg
- Email Address: msonnenberg@rider.edu
- Phone: (609) 921-7100
- Office: Westminster Campus
- Mailing Address: 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540
Melanie Sonnenberg has impressed the music world with her distinctive interpretations of the mezzo soprano repertoire, ranging from the traditional bel canto roles to the exotic French and Russian heroines. Whether recognized as “a rich and fluent mezzo” by The New York Times, or “a master and virtuosa of voice” by Opernwelt, her performances throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada have garnered critical acclaim in many opera houses, including the New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, Salzburg Festspielhaus, Teatro San Carlo, Graz Opera, Hamburg Staatsoper, Tokyo Yoyogi Arena, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, Edmonton Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Ontario, New Orleans Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, and Opera Theatre of St. Louis, among others.
Ms. Sonnenberg has been featured in new productions with the New York City Opera, appearing as Kontchakovna in Prince Igor, Marie de Pays in the American premiere of Jost Meier’s The Dreyfus Affair, and Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana, which was also broadcast on the ‘Live from Lincoln Center’ PBS series.
She made her European debut as Marina in Boris Godunov with the Graz Oper, followed by performances of Carmen with the Hamburg Staatsoper, Yoyogi Arena of Tokyo, and Graz Oper, Isabella in L’Italiana in Algeri with the Teatro San Carlo, Princess Eboli in Don Carlo, Preziosilla in La Forza del Destino, Giulietta in Hoffman’s Erzählungen, and Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Graz Oper. She also sang Flosshilde in Das Rheingold and Siegrune in Die Walküre for the Salzburg Festspielhaus and Graz Oper.
Recognized for her commanding dramatic and vocal skills, Ms Sonnenberg has built a diverse operatic repertoire of nearly fifty roles. In recent seasons, her portrayals of Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana with the Edmonton Opera, Augusta Tabor in The Ballad of Baby Doe with the companies of New Orleans, Indianapolis, and Austin, the title role of Carmen with Victor Borge Presents, Austin, and Indianapolis, Amneris in Aida with the Fresno Grand Opera, Azucena in Il Trovatore and Mrs. Bertram in The End of the Affair with the Madison Opera, the Old Lady in Candide with the Fort Worth Opera, and Olga in Eugene Onegin with Opera Ontario, have proved impressive.
Ms. Sonnenberg debuted at Carnegie Hall as Smeton in Anna Bolena with the Opera Orchestra of New York and at Town Hall as Malcolm in La Donna del Lago with the PALA Opera. She sang Jocasta in Oedipus Rex with Little Orchestra Society of New York, while also performing in their “Vivaldi’s Venice” series at Lincoln Center. Some of her symphonic highlights include concerts with the Grazer Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and the Bach Society of St. Louis.
Ms. Sonnenberg has recorded Brahms' Alto Rhapsody and Ständchen with the Turtle Creek Chorale and the Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra on the Reference Label. Her film and television credits include Wagner’s Das Rheingold and Die Walküre for the ORF- Austrian Radio and Television, Cavalleria Rusticana for the “Live from Lincoln Center” PBS series, and The Merry Widow with Beverly Sills for “Great Performances.”
Possessing a vast repertoire of song and lieder, Ms Sonnenberg has made numerous recital and concert appearances, especially with the Newport Music Festival, where during fifteen seasons she collaborated with Jean-Philippe Collard, Dimitri Sitkovetsky, and Frederic Chiu. Her recent program, "They’ve Got Music: Rachmaninoff and Gershwin", has already been heard at the National Gallery in Washington D.C., the Great Hall in Tbilisi, Georgia, and the Piano Summer Festival at New Paltz, NY. Her love of popular music and intimate venues brought her presentation of her original cabaret program, "Intimate and Elegant", to the Santa Fe Opera, the Riviera Club in Dallas, the Newport Music Festival, and the Fox Theatre of St. Louis.
In 2005, Ms Sonnenberg was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor of Voice at Westminster Choir College. She also recently served as voice teacher and lecturer for the inaugural New York Vocal Institute-2006. She holds an Master of Arts in Music and Music Education from Teachers College Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from City College of New York. Ms. Sonnenberg is a grant recipient of the William Matheus Sullivan Foundation, the Rockefeller Fund for Music, Inc., and an award recipient of the Opera America and Metropolitan Opera auditions. She maintains her private studio and residence in New York City.
