About
Minnesotan soprano Alexis Reed captivates and moves audiences with her “gorgeous tone” and “dramatic conviction”. With deep passion for playfulness and both vocal and dramatic exploration in her art, Reed brings sparkling heart and energy to every performance. She has been praised for “soaring vocally” as well as “her gift for acting” (Cleveland Classical).
Reed was recently seen onstage as Antonia in Mixed Precipitation’s praised adaptation of Tales of Hoffmann and as Lover 1 in the final workshop of The Many Deaths of Laila Starr with Minnesota Opera. Other recent operatic appearances featured Reed as Electra in Mixed Precipitation’s adaptation of Idomeneo, Female Chorus in an excerpt of The Rape of Lucretia with Minnesota Opera, and an angel in Skylark Opera Theatre’s The Christmas Rose. Reed has performed as Sandman and Dew Fairy and covered the role of Gretel in Amelia Island Opera’s production of Hansel and Gretel and appeared 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 f La traviata, where she "outdid herself in the final act as Annina" (Cleveland Classical). Other credits include 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.
An avid performer of twenty-first century music, Reed has collaborated with the composers and librettists for the third-ever production of Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up (Ma) and the second-ever production of Du Yun’s Angel’s Bone (Mrs. X.E.). Reed’s performances in these operas were met with great acclaim. She was involved in the workshopping process of Misery and The Many Deaths of Laila Starr at Minnesota Opera. After singing the roles of Lover 1, Deity 2, and Karma as well as in the chorus for workshops of The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, Reed joins the world premiere cast in October 2026 as Lover 1 and in the chorus. In Spring 2025, Reed premiered the role of Dahlia and covered the principal role of Holly in Green Thumbed by Jamey Guzman and Tiffa Foster in a collaboration between Opera Athena and Really Spicy Opera. In 2021 and 2022, Reed workshopped the principal role of Beatrice in James Garner’s Much Ado. Reed 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 in 2020. 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 premiere of Soomin Kim’s Four Love Songs.
Experienced on the concert and recital stage, Reed has appeared as a soloist with the Lakes Area Music Festival, Twin Cities Opera Guild, Minnesota Saints Chorale and Orchestra, Twin Cities Catholic Chorale, Overdressed Duo, Italian Cultural Center in Minneapolis, KIN Experience, Chautauqua Institution, International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia, Oberlin in Italy, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and Oberlin Sinfonietta, and has given recitals with Wayzata Community Church, 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 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 AssociationScholarship Competition, Reed performed in two concerts with the association.
Reed currently resides in Minnesota’s the Twin Cities and is a student of George Smith. Reed earned a M.Mus. in Opera and Voice at McGill University under the tutelage of Joanne Kolomyjec and Michael McMahon and 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 singer that shows great promise to enhance career opportunities. Involved in classical music around the cities as a performer, patron, volunteer, audience services lead, and development staff member, Reed strives to engage with and support the art form each and every day.
