A native of Puerto Rico, soprano Zulimar López-Hernández has been seen on the stages of Royal Albert Hall in London, Utah Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Nashville Opera, Virginia Opera, and Opera de Puerto Rico, among others. She was a National Semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Vocal Competition, Third Place winner in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition and was awarded Radio Choice Audience Favorite in the Giargiari Bel Canto Competition.
The 2023-2024 will feature an anticipated role debut for Ms. López-Hernández as Diana in the mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, in her return to Minnesota Opera. She also returns to the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, reprising the role of Zerlina in Don Giovanni. The soprano’s 2022-23 season began in the summer with rescheduled performances of Y los Pasteles with Teatro de la Opera de Puerto Rico. She joined Minnesota Opera for rescheduled world-premiere performances of Edward Tulane, creating the roles of Abilene and Betty; sang Musetta in La bohème with both the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera and The Northern Lights Music Festival, and bowed as Micaela in Carmen with Opera de Puerto Rico in the closing performance of the Casals Festival.
Zulimar’s 2021-2022 season included her debut with Arizona Opera as La Mujer in El milagro del Recuerdo, rescheduled from the COVID-19 impacted 2020-2021 season. She also joined the Orlando Philharmonic for Orff’s Carmina Burana. Other recent engagements have included a recital with the Theater of the University of Puerto Rico with pianist Pedro Juan Jiméne, a return to Dayton Opera in the role of Musetta in La bohème, and a workshop of Paola Prestini’s Edward Tulane.
Operatic highlights include multiple performances with Des Moines Metro Opera including Tina in Flight, Beatriz in Rappaccini’s Daughter, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and Norina in Don Pasquale; Musetta in La bohème with Royal Albert Hall in London, Virginia Opera, Opera Memphis, and Opera Grand Rapids; Maria in West Side Story with Newport Music Festival and Evansville Philharmonic; Despina in Cosí fan tutte with Annapolis Opera and Mannes Opera; Pamina in The Magic Flute with Utah Opera; Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with Utah Opera, Dayton Opera, and Annapolis Opera; Norina in Don Pasquale with Opera Santa Barbara and Nickel City Opera; Micaela in Carmen with Knoxville Opera; Rosalba in Florencia en el Amazonas with Nashville Opera; Violetta in La traviata with Union Avenue Opera; Juliette in Romeo et Juliette with Knoxville Opera; Nanetta in Falstaff with Mannes Opera; and Beth in Little Women with Syracuse Opera.
In concert Ms. Lopez-Hernandez has appeared with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra for performances of Messiah and their Christmas Concerts; Grand Junction Symphony for a suite of music from West Side Story; the Casals Festival for Mozart’s Requiem; the Eugene Ballet for Orf’s Carmina Burana; Glimmerglass Opera for a recital of Strauss, Debussy, Greer and Obradors; and appeared in the Mannes Recital Series and Evening of Songs.
She holds an Artist Diploma from the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts, where she performed the roles of Poussette in Manon, Despina in Così fan tutte and Norina in David Gately’s Wild Wild West production of Don Pasquale, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of Puerto Rico, where she performed the roles of Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Gilda in Rigoletto and Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann.
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