Making her debut as Queen of the Night 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). This season she joins Opera Idaho as an Emerging Artist, performing Diana in Cruzar la Cara de la Luna as well as covering Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Soldier in The Falling and the Rising, and Juliette in Romeo et Juliette.

In the 2022/23 season, she appeared as Adina in The Elixir of Love (The Dallas Opera – Touring Opera), Aldimira in Cavalli’s Erismena (Amherst Early Music Festival) and as the soprano soloist in J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (Taylor Festival Choir). She received an Encouragement Award from the Audrey Rooney Vocal Competition, and performed as a 2023 Vocal Fellow at Spoleto Festival USA and Young Artist at Confidencen Opera and Music Festival in Sweden.

Recently she premiered the role of The Computer in Shara Nova’s new opera, Infinite Movement. Other prior engagements include Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Königen der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, Frasquita (cover) in Carmen, Lucia in Lucia di Lamermoor, Valentina Scarcella in Later the Same Evening, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Despina in Così fan tutte, Lisette in La Rondine, Almirena in Rinaldo, and the title role in Rameau’s Zéphyre with Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, Music on Site, UNT Opera Theatre, Chicago Summer Opera, and Concerto Urbano Baroque Ensemble, among others.

In concert, Nini has performed as a soloist in a number of works by J.S. Bach including Johannes-Passion, Magnificat, BWV 150, BWV 96, and BWV 80. During the 2019–2020 season, she was engaged to make her debut with Fort Worth Symphony as the soprano soloist in Johannes-Passion, which was unfortunately canceled due to COVID-19. Nini is also an avid promoter of modern repertoire, having recently performed György Ligeti’s Aventures, one of the composer’s most avant-garde vocal works.

Ms. Marchese has received 1st place in the Soirée Lyrique Vocal Competition, was winner of the Thomas J. Smith Scholarship 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.