biography
Hailed as having a voice of “such strong presence and beauty of tone that she left one longing for more.” (Opera News), Irish-American soprano Francesca Federico was born in Paris and is based in New York City. She is a Fulbright Scholar, and completed a performance residency in Ireland, focusing on the origins of Irish traditional music in classical art song by Irish composers and poets.
Current projects include the release of Francesca’s debut album, Visions and Ecstasies: Classical & Folk Songs of Ireland on Odradek Records and accompanying tours in the United States and Europe. She is the Soprano Soloist in Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the New York Session Symphony; Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with Garden State Opera; Mozart’s Requiem with the Hudson Chorale; Orff's Carmina Burana with the Westchester Oratorio Society, and will debut the role of Kitchen Boy in Dvořák's Rusalka with Salt Marsh Opera in the 2026-27 season.
Recent engagements include the title role of Strauss’s Salome with Heartbeat Opera; soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No.4 with the New York Session Symphony, soloist in Beethoven’s Mass in C Major with the Greenwich Choral Society, soloist in Bach’s BWV 140 with the Westchester Choral Society, and Harlan in Chadwich Stokes’ rock opera 1972 at The Public Theater.
Favorite roles include Alice Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff (Wexford Festival Opera); Clorinda in Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Raylynmor Opera); Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen (Salt Marsh Opera); La Donna in Zandonai’s Giulietta e Romeo (Teatro Grattacielo), and Sor Andrea in Carla Lucero’s Juana (dell’Arte Opera); Eurydice in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld with Opera Ithaca and Raylynmor Oper, and Soloist with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, performing Ravel’s Chansons Madécasses and the premiere of Clarice Jensen’s Enheduanna.
Francesca has been twice winner of the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust and the Lotte Pulvermacher Grant; finalist for a Career Bridges Grant; the John Alexander National Vocal Competition; the Vermont Vocal Competition; the American Prize, and semi-finalist in the Opera Columbus Cooper-Bing Competition. Her voice appeared as the Soloist in Brian K. Bowers’ short film Reverie (WINNER: New Creators Film Award, 'Best Original Music'), and on Clarice Jensen’s album Esthesis.
Francesca received a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance at the Mannes School of Music, studying under Bonnie Hamilton. She completed her undergraduate degree in Global Politics at New York University. She currently studies with Mark Schnaible.
Facebook || Instagram || Substack
Photo credit: Jordan Tiberio