Praised by The New York Times for her “plummy, penetrating voice,” soprano Maria Natale is the recipient of many awards and grants from some of the most prestigious vocal competitions nationwide including the National James Collier Vocal Competition, Elizabeth Connell Prize in Sydney, Australia, the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition as well as a grand finalist in the Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition. ​Recently, Ms. Natale made her debuts at Tulsa Opera as Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly and at Opera San Jose Opera as Nedda in Pagliacci, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. Other engagements include, Opera Maine as Violetta in La Traviata under conductor Stephen Lord where Opera News claimed, “her powerful soprano easily filled the house,” and her Sarasota Opera début portraying the role of Liù in Turandot where she was hailed as having an “unequivocal Italian sound” (New Outpost). As a concert soloist, Ms. Natale has been featured at Carnegie Hall in Faure’s Requiem and Mozart’s Missa Solemnis with MidAmerica Productions. She has also appeared as the soprano soloist with NYC Master Chorale in Dvorak’s Te Deum and Mozart’s Requiem. In 2015 she was selected by the Metropolitan Opera Guild to sing in a masterclass with Placido Domingo in Lincoln Center. Ms. Natale is a graduate from the Manhattan School of music where she performed the role of Lady Macbeth in Ernest Bloch’s only opera Macbeth and was praised by Opera News for her “high voltage vocal thrills” and “merciless stage presence.” This season’s engagements include the Countess Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and her role debut as the title role in Puccini's masterpiece, Tosca.