Heralded for her “superb vocal and dramatic chops” by Opera News, with “stunning vocal beauty and absolute sincerity of expression” in Chicago Classical Review, mezzo-soprano Amanda Lynn Bottoms will return to the Santa Fe Opera this summer to cover Carmen followed by performances with the LA Opera, Akron Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic. Previously in the 2022/2023 season, she starred as Charlie Tyler in the Dayton Opera world premiere of Finding Wright and debuted as Leocasta in Giustino with Long Beach Opera. An advocate for innovative new works, this spring Bottoms starred in the first opera commissioned for a planetarium Galaxies in Her Eyes, directed by Kristyne McIntyre and written by Mark Lanz Weiser/Amy S. Pun. Praised by the New York Times as “commanding with captivating texture”, and Opera News for “luxurious full tone and interpretive intensity”, Bottoms was a featured Apprentice Artist in 2021 with Santa Fe Opera covering Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fillipyevna in Eugene Onegin, Ino in The Lord of Cries, and singing Carmen in the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Showcase. To much acclaim, Bottoms headlined the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago Fall 2021 recital series - the opening performance, Songs of the New World, was named one of Chicago Classical Review’s 'Best of 2021' alongside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the final recital The Songs We Carried, received honorable mention. A beloved guest artist of the New York Festival of Song led by Steven Blier, Bottoms collaborated with the institution for several performances this season, including their return to live performance “And…We’re Back” Bottoms is an alumna of the Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera where her mainstage work included roles in the Maurice Sendak production of The Magic Flute, Menotti’s The Consul, and the world premiere of Admissions in the Washington National Opera AOI program. Bottoms had a “dramatically and vocally glamorous” debut (Parterre Box) in the Opera Philadelphia O19 Festival, as Smeraldina in Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges, and continued featured work with the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago, New York Festival of Song, and Philadelphia Chamber Music Society Emerging Voices recital series. Prominent debuts include Paquette in Candide with Philadelphia Orchestra and maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Mahler Symphony No.2 with the UCLA Symphony, Mercedes in Carmen with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Songfest with the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra, Richard Danielpour’s The Passion of Yeshua, Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, The Brothers Balliett’s Fifty Trillion Molecular Geniuses at Carnegie Hall, originating the role of Frances in the world premiere of The Flood with Opera Columbus, de Falla's El Amor Brujo with Lansing Symphony Orchestra and Anita in Bernstein's West Side Story with the NHK Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo under the baton of maestro Paavo Järvi. Bottoms has received recognition and awards from prestigious international competitions including the George London Foundation, Loren L. Zachary Society, Operalia, Gerda Lissner, Opera Index, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regionals. Bottoms holds a Certificate of Professional Studies in Opera from the Curtis Institute of Music, a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School where she was a coveted Kovner Fellow, and a Bachelor of Music degree from SUNY Fredonia.