California native Shabnam Kalbasi, is an up and coming mezzo-soprano garnering attention from coast to coast. A recent George London Foundation Competition finalist, Ms. Kalbasi covered Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with Prelude to Performance in the 2016 summer season. She will premiere the lead role of "Union Organizer" in the new opera Sweat with Contemporary Center for Opera in the fall of 2016. 

 

This past spring Ms. Kalbasi made her Kennedy Center recital debut and sang Mercedes in Venture Opera's Carmen. 

 

In the fall of 2015, Ms. Kalbasi sang Second lady in Opera Memphis's production of The Magic Flute. A 2015 recipient of the Agnes M. Canning Memorial Award from the Santa Fe Opera, Ms Kalbasi returned to the Santa Fe Opera in her second consecutive year with the apprentice artist program. She sang Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto and debuted the role of Olivia in the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon's Cold Mountain. She was also seen as Nerone from L'incorazzione di Poppea and Amastre from Serse in the apprentice scene showcase.

 

Ms Kalbasi has been a two time regional finalist in the Rocky Mountain Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. In late 2014, she was a finalist in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition. In her first year as an apprentice with Santa Fe Opera she covered the role of Mercedes in Stephen Lawless’ new production of Carmen. Other recent roles also include the respective leads of Rosina  in Figaro’s American Adventure and Jessica in The Letter with with LA Opera’s Education Tour.

 

While earning her masters degree at USC's Thornton School of Music she was Mere Marie in Poulenc’s The Dialogues of the Carmelites and Kate Julian in Benjamin Britten’s Owen Wingrave.  Kalbasi was also recently involved in premiering the workshop edition of a new opera adaptation of The Scarlet Letter as the lead, Hester Prynne.           

 

Evenly comfortable on the concert front, Kalbasi was awarded with a Stern Fellowship at Songfest and was a resident artist with the French-Chamber Music Festival in Missilac, France. She has performed solos with the annual LA Bach Festival, having performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

 

In 2013 she placed 1st both in the NATS-LA competition and the Long Beach Mozart Festival Competition. Other notable roles include the title role in Dido and Aeneas, Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro and Mrs. Nolan in The Medium.

   

Ms. Kalbasi currently studies with Laura Brooks Rice.