About

Manhattan-born Soprano Elizabeth Novella recently returned from a fellowship position at the Aspen Music Festival and School where she sang the role of Maia in the first fully staged production of Christopher Theofanidis’ The Cows of Apollo or the Invention of Music and was praised for her "first-rate singing" (Opera News). While in Aspen, she also covered The High Priestess in the Festival's production of Aïda in collaboration with singers of The Metropolitan Opera. In January, Ms. Novella was awarded the Davidson Scholarship to participate in the 2015 season of Opera Singers Initiative. This fall, Ms. Novella will cover Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni with Venture Opera and will perform Maja in Bare Opera's production of Enrique Granados' Goyescas.

Previous credits include Gertrud (Hänsel und Gretel) with the Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater, Mrs. Wormwood (Musilda) performed and adapted from Roald Dahl's Matilda by Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater's Outreach Program. Madame Herz (Der Schauspieldirektor) with New York Lyric Opera Theater, as well as Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) and Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica) with The Amalfi Coast Music Festival. Scene work includes Gilda (Rigoletto), Elettra (Idomeneo) and Blanche de la Force (Dialogues des Carmélites) with the Aspen Music Festival and School as well as Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) with the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra. Ms. Novella was also seen as Gilda with the American Symphony Orchestra and Mimì (La Bohème) with Manhattan School of Music’s Opera Ensemble. Concert work includes Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 with the cellists of the New York Philharmonic.

Ms. Novella won first place in the National Association for Teachers of Singing Competition (NYC division) consecutively from 2006-2009 and again in 2011. She also won the Bard College Concerto Competition in 2011.

Ms. Novella holds a Master's in Voice from Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Bard College.

Music

Operatic Repertoire:

Blanche de la Force - Dialogues des Carmélites - Poulenc
Blanche - A Streetcar Named Desire - Previn
Donne Elvira - Don Giovanni - Mozart
Gertrud - Hänsel und Gretel - Humperdinck
Magda - La Rondine - Puccini
Maia - The Invention of Music - Theofanidis
Micaëla - Carmen - Bizet
Mimì - La Bohème - Puccini
Pamina - Die Zauberflöte - Mozart
Lucia - Lucia di Lammermoor - Donizetti

Art Song:

Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5- Villa-Lobos
5 Poèmes de Baudelaire - Debussy
Various Strauss Lieder, Wolf-Ferrari, Ives, Rorem & Messiaen Songs

Audio