Hailed as a “true artist” (Opera News), Soprano Raquel González is a winner of the prestigious Sphinx Organization’s Medal of Excellence Award. The 22/23 season will begin with Raquel making a house debut at Inland Opera Northwest for La traviata (Violetta). Other operatic highlights this season include a debut at Sarasota Opera for Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) and her debut on the roster of The Metropolitan Opera for La bohème. On the concert stage, she will debut with the St. Louis Symphony and Music Director Stéphane Denève for “Vissi d’arte” from Tosca and the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park for the Verdi Requiem. Last season Raquel debuted with Opera San Antonio in Don Giovanni (Donna Anna) and Virginia Opera in La bohème (Mimì), and returned to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for Harvey Milk (Dianne Feinstein). Additional appearances included Queen City Opera in a concert of scenes from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Iolanta, New York Festival of Song for Buenos Aires, Then and Now, and a solo recital at the University of Lynchburg.
Recently engagements include a role/house debut at Chicago Opera Theater in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Kashchej the Immortal (Princess) conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya. Additionally, Raquel returned to Lyric Opera of Kansas City for La bohème (Mimì), joined the roster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago for Madama Butterfly, made her role/house debut at New Orleans Opera in Turandot (Liù), and returned to WNO for a role debut in Silent Night (Anna Sørensen). She debuted at North Carolina Opera in Carmen (Micaëla), Atlanta Opera to reprise the Zvulun production of Eugene Onegin (Tatyana), Opera Tampa in La bohème (Mimì), Opera on the James in La traviata (Violetta), and Central City Opera in Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San).
Raquel made her hometown debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City in a new production of Eugene Onegin (Tatyana) directed by Tomer Zvulun, performed with the National Symphony Orchestra in Bernstein’s Songfest, and returned to WNO for The Little Prince (Water). She sang her first Verdi Requiem with the West Virginia Symphony and Syracuse Symphoria. Ms. González debuted with Syracuse Opera in Eugene Onegin in 2016 – 2017 and returned the following season for La traviata. She sang her first Iolanta at Queen City Opera in Cincinnati and Carmen with the Washington Chorus at the Kennedy Center.
Ms. González debuted at The Glimmerglass Festival in their production of The Magic Flute (First Lady) before returning as a guest artist for La bohème. Ms. González recently completed three seasons as a Young Artist with the Washington National Opera where she appeared in Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San), Le nozze di Figaro (Contessa Almaviva), Don Giovanni (Donna Anna), Carmen (Micaëla), and La bohème (Mimì). Additional assignments as a Young Artist at WNO included Hansel and Gretel (Sandman) and Dialogues of the Carmelites (Blanche cover). She also debuted with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra in Otello (Desdemona).
