Alicia Berneche
Encyclopedia
Alicia Berneche is an American lyric coloratura soprano who has sung leading roles in operas throughout the United States.
Berneche was born in Kokomo, Indiana
and went to Kokomo High School where she played violin and starred in school plays. Intending to major in Acting and Poetry Composition in college, a last minute decision to take voice lessons changed her major mid-year to singing.
She studied voice with Vergene Miller, theatre, and poetry at DePauw University
(1989–1993) and was the only voice major in her class. She then became the inaugural candidate for the Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Institute
(1993–1995), mentored by the late John Lehmeyer. She directly performed at Ohio Light Opera. She continud her professional training apprenticing at the Orlando Opera (1995), the joining the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists (1996–1998) in Chicago.
She performed frequently at Lyric Opera of Chicago
, culminating in her popular and critical success as Daisy Buchanan in the second performance of John Harbison's The Great Gatsby after Dawn Upshaw bowed out of the production. She subsequently performed in the world premiere of Galileo Galilei by Philip Glass and Mary Zimmerman at the Goodman Theatre
in Chicago
, the Brooklyn Academy of Music
in New York City
, and the Barbican Centre
in London
.
Berneche specializes in new music, performing and premiering works by Schulamit Ran, Aaron Jay Kernis, John Harbison, Hugo Weisgall, Philip Glass, Matthew Rosenblum, Lita Grier, Robert Kritz, Luciano Berio, Benjamin Britten, Francis Poulenc, Drew Hemenger, Kirke Mechem, Richard Wargo, Michale John LaChiusa, Ricky Ian Gordon, Marc Blitzstein, Robert Ward, Arenski Szymanovski, Arnold Schoenberg, and Jacob Druckman.
Alicia Berneche has sung in houses all over the United States, including Austin Lyric Opera, Arizona Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Pacific, Virginia Opera, Orlando Opera, Skylight Opera, Sarasota Opera, and has been on the roster of the New York Metropolitan Opera
Berneche was born in Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties....
and went to Kokomo High School where she played violin and starred in school plays. Intending to major in Acting and Poetry Composition in college, a last minute decision to take voice lessons changed her major mid-year to singing.
She studied voice with Vergene Miller, theatre, and poetry at DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
(1989–1993) and was the only voice major in her class. She then became the inaugural candidate for the Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Institute
Peabody Institute
The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a renowned conservatory and preparatory school located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland at the corner of Charles and Monument Streets at Mount Vernon Place.-History:...
(1993–1995), mentored by the late John Lehmeyer. She directly performed at Ohio Light Opera. She continud her professional training apprenticing at the Orlando Opera (1995), the joining the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists (1996–1998) in Chicago.
She performed frequently at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1952, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicolà Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria Callas's American debut in Norma...
, culminating in her popular and critical success as Daisy Buchanan in the second performance of John Harbison's The Great Gatsby after Dawn Upshaw bowed out of the production. She subsequently performed in the world premiere of Galileo Galilei by Philip Glass and Mary Zimmerman at the Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, the Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and the Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Berneche specializes in new music, performing and premiering works by Schulamit Ran, Aaron Jay Kernis, John Harbison, Hugo Weisgall, Philip Glass, Matthew Rosenblum, Lita Grier, Robert Kritz, Luciano Berio, Benjamin Britten, Francis Poulenc, Drew Hemenger, Kirke Mechem, Richard Wargo, Michale John LaChiusa, Ricky Ian Gordon, Marc Blitzstein, Robert Ward, Arenski Szymanovski, Arnold Schoenberg, and Jacob Druckman.
Alicia Berneche has sung in houses all over the United States, including Austin Lyric Opera, Arizona Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Pacific, Virginia Opera, Orlando Opera, Skylight Opera, Sarasota Opera, and has been on the roster of the New York Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...