American opera singer Lacey Jo Benter has been lauded by the New York Times as having a “rich, warm tone” while bringing a “broad emotional palette” to the stage. Native to Cedar Rapids, Iowa she recently completed her young artist residency at LA Opera where she debuted in Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles, sang Clotilde in Norma, Kate Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly and the Alto Solo in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle under the baton of Plácido Domingo. She attended Lawrence University in Appleton, WI before receiving multiple degrees at The Juilliard School. She appeared with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, returning for Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland, which she reprised with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Last season she was conducted by John Adams with the LA Phil in the recent multimedia performance of his Nixon in China and made her debut with Opera Omaha as “Minskwoman” in their new production of Jonathan Dove’s Flight. While most of her roles to date have been as a mezzo soprano, Lacey Jo is excited by the development of her instrument toward the soprano repertoire of Verdi and Wagner.
