Making her debut as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute with Central Florida Lyric Opera, coloratura soprano Nini Marchese was praised for her “riveting vocals that captured the Queen’s black-hearted wickedness” (Villages News). She subsequently performed Queen of the Night with Painted Sky Opera in Oklahoma City, and Music on Site in Kansas. Most recently, she performed the role of Susanna The Marriage of Figaro with Bellissima Opera in Chicago.

In performances with Opera NEO, she was praised for her “bright, supple soprano” (San Diego Story), appearing as Nerea in Nicola Porpora’s rarely performed Polifemo. She was in residence with Opera Idaho as an Emerging Artist, appearing as Barbarina/Susanna cover in The Marriage of Figaro, and covering The Soldier in The Falling and the Rising. She toured as Adina in The Elixir of Love with The Dallas Opera Outreach and Education, performing in Dallas schools as well as matinee performances on the Winspear Opera Stage with the Dallas Opera Orchestra. She has also performed as a Festival Artist with Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre and a Vocal Fellow at Spoleto Festival USA.

Nini takes a special interest in baroque music. While at Confidencen Opera & Music Festival in Sweden, her performance were praised that she “steals the show from the first moment, with her humorous, coquettish, and shamelessly amorous singing” (Expressen). She has performed as soprano soloist in Handel Messiah and J.S. Bach Magnificat with Baroque Artists of Champaign Urbana, Christmas Oratorio and Handel Messiah with Taylor Festival Choir, Gläubige Seele in Handel’s Brockes Passion with Bach Society Houston, the title role in Charpentier’s Esther Denton Bach Society, as well as a number of other works by J.S. Bach including St. John Passion, BWV 137, BWV 150, BWV 96, and BWV 80. She appeared as Aldimira in Cavalli’s Erismena with Amherst Early Music Festival, and the title role in Rameau’s Zephyre with Concerto Urbano Ensemble.

She premiered the role of The Computer in Matthew Ritchie and Shara Nova’s opera and film exhibition, Infinite Movement at the University of North Texas. Her other notable operatic performances during her studies include Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Valentina Scarcella in Later the Same Evening, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Despina in Così fan tutte, and as soprano soloist in Ligeti’s Aventures.

Ms. Marchese has received 1st place in the Soirée Lyrique Vocal Competition, was winner of the Thomas J. Smith Scholarship Competition, She received an Encouragement Award from the Kentucky Bach Choir Audrey Rooney Vocal Competition, and a national finalist at the New York Lyric Opera Theatre Competition. An Illinois native, Nini attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for her Bachelor of Music degree. She recently earned both a Master of Music degree and a Graduate Artist Certificate from the University of North Texas.