About
American soprano Alexis Reed is described as an astonishing, compelling, and elegant performer. She has been praised for singing with “gorgeous tone”, “soaring vocally”, and “dramatic conviction”, as well as “her gift for acting” (Cleveland Classical).
Reed was most recently seen on the operatic stage as Donna Elvira in Chautauqua Opera Conservatory’s Don Giovanni just months after making her role debut in Opera McGill’s production of the same opera. In 2021, Reed sang the role of Léontine in Opera McGill's production of L'amant anonyme, a performance which marked the Canadian premiere as well as the first performance in North America to recite the full work using the original French dialogue. Reed’s professional operatic debut was in in Cleveland Opera Theater’s 2019 production of La traviata, where she "outdid herself in the final act as Annina" (Cleveland Classical). Reed has previously appeared onstage as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nannetta in Falstaff, Lisette in La rondine, and Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw. Reed has also participated in scenes from La traviata as Violetta, Don Giovanni as both Donna Elvira and Zerlina, I Capuleti e i Montecchi as Giulietta, and Il matrimonio segreto as Carolina.
As an avid performer of twenty-first century music, Reed has collaborated with the composers and librettists during the third-ever production of Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up (Ma) and the second production of Du Yun’s Angel’s Bone (Mrs. X.E.). Reed’s performances in these operas were met with great acclaim. In 2021 and 2022, Reed workshopped the principal role of Beatrice in James Garner’s Much Ado! with the composer. Reed has also performed the role of Agnieska in She sees her lover in the light of morning by Craig Galbraith in a collaborative project between Opera McGill and Tapestry Opera. After being selected by voice faculty at Oberlin Conservatory to perform Berio’s Folk Songs with the Oberlin Sinfonietta, Reed was asked to join the ensemble once again for the world premier of Soomin Kim’s Four Love Songs.
Experienced on the concert and recital stage, Reed has appeared as a soloist with the KIN Experience, the Chautauqua Institution, the International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia, Oberlin in Italy, and The Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and given professional recitals for Southminster United Church and the Ukrainian National Federation in Montreal. She was also a frequent performer with Stars in the Classics, a non-profit organization committed to providing intimate performance opportunities for emerging, world-class musicians in Northeast Ohio and beyond.
In 2022, Reed performed as a finalist for the prestigious Wirth Vocal Prize at McGill University. After winning first place in the voice division and receiving the Arden J. Yockey Scholarship from the 2019 Tuesday Musical Association Scholarship Competition, Reed performed in two concerts with the association.
Throughout her career, Reed has participated in masterclasses led by renowned musicians and teachers including Marilyn Horne, Gerald Finley, Francois Le Roux, Claudia Catania, and Marlena Malas.
Reed recently earned her M.M. in Opera and Voice at McGill University under the tutelage of Joanne Kolomyjec and Michael McMahon. Reed is an alumna of Oberlin College and Conservatory, where she earned a B.M. in Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Marlene Rosen and a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Upon graduation, she earned the Hope Hibbard Memorial Award in Biology and received the Margot Bos Stambler Professional Development Award, which is awarded to an outstanding graduating voice major that shows great promise to enhance career opportunities.
