Nadine Sierra in Conversation
Nadine Sierra, soprano
“Her voice, with its pure, incisive, and delicate timbre, radiates tenderness in the middle register, while she floats her golden high register to the limits of audibility.” — Le Monde
Praised for her vocal beauty, seamless technique, and abundant musicality, Nadine Sierra was recognized as one of opera’s leading young talents. She received the Richard Tucker Award in 2017 and the Beverly Sills Artist Award from the Metropolitan Opera in 2018. After debuts at the Met, Teatro alla Scala, Paris Opera, and Staatsoper Berlin, she became a regular presence on many of the world’s most prestigious stages. Her recordings include There’s a Place for Us (2018) and Made for Opera (2022), released by Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Music.
In recent seasons, Sierra appeared as Juliette in Roméo et Juliette at the Wiener Staatsoper, Metropolitan Opera, and Teatro di San Carlo; Gilda in Rigoletto with the Met and on tour in Japan with the Royal Opera under Antonio Pappano; Violetta in La traviata at Paris Opera, Teatro Real, and the Gran Teatre del Liceu; and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Royal Opera House. She also sang Amina in La sonnambula, Maria in West Side Story, Manon in Manon, and debuted the role of Luisa Miller.
Her concert work included appearances with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, as well as recitals at Carnegie Hall, Teatro Real, Palm Beach Opera, and the Grand Théâtre de Genève. She also toured internationally with Andrea Bocelli, including performances at Madison Square Garden and the Kaseya Center in Miami.
Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO, OPERA America
Marc A. Scorca joined OPERA America in 1990 as president and CEO. Since that time, the OPERA America membership has grown from 120 opera companies to 3,500 organizations and individuals. Under his leadership, OPERA America has administered two landmark funding initiatives in support of the development of North American operas and opera audiences and launched an endowment effort in 2000 to create a permanent fund dedicated to supporting new works and audience development activities. In 2005, Scorca spearheaded OPERA America’s relocation from Washington, D.C. to New York City and the subsequent construction of the National Opera Center, which opened in 2012 and serves 80,000 guests each year. The Opera Center’s recital hall was dedicated as Marc A. Scorca Hall in 2015 in honor of Scorca’s 25th anniversary with the organization.
Scorca has led strategic planning retreats for opera companies and other cultural institutions internationally, and has participated on panels for federal, state, and local funding agencies, as well as for numerous private organizations. He also appears frequently in the media on a variety of cultural issues. A strong advocate of collaboration, Scorca has led several cross-disciplinary projects, including the Performing Arts Research Coalition and the National Performing Arts Convention (2004 and 2008). He is currently a member of the U.S. delegation to UNESCO. Scorca serves as an officer on the boards of the Performing Arts Alliance and the Curtis Institute of Music, and is on the Music Advisory Board of Hunter College (CUNY). Scorca attended Amherst College, where he graduated with high honors in both history and music.