A Rochester, Michigan native, Anna Thompson is a soprano based in Philadelphia, PA, who has been lauded for performances possessing both “power and grace” and for having “anchored the opera’s emotional center” (San Francisco Classical Voice).
During the 2024-2025 season, Anna debuted as Marie Antoinette in John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles and the title role in Alcina at Rice University. As a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, she covered Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus. She also appeared in scenes as the title role in Manon and Alice Ford in Falstaff at the Center Stage Concert under the baton of Daniela Candillari. Anna debuts at the Bard Music Festival in the title role of the world premiere of the original French language version of Bohuslav Martinů’s Mariken de Nimègue, as well as the soprano soloist in Martinů’s The Prophecy of Isaiah with The Orchestra Now. In the 2025/2026 season, Anna joins the Academy of Vocal Arts as a Resident Artist, where she will debut as Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro under the baton of Joseph Colaneri and Countess Madeleine in Strauss’ Capriccio. Anna recently graduated with her M.M. from Rice University, studying under Nova Thomas, and holds a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Nicole Cabell, as well as a B.A. in Linguistics as part of the dual-degree program at the University of Rochester.
In the 2023-2024 season, as an Apprentice Artist with The Santa Fe Opera, Anna covered Marianne Leitmetzerin in Der Rosenkavalier and appeared as Clorinda in scenes from La Cenerentola. She also sang Female Chorus in a concert performance of The Rape of Lucretia and Helmwige in scenes from Die Walküre at Rice University. Highlights from prior seasons include covering Beatriz in Jimmy Lopez’ Bel Canto and appearing as Sophie de Palma in Terrence McNally’s Masterclass alongside Phylicia Rashad, directed by Joanna Gleason at the Aspen Music Festival. While at Aspen, she also performed scenes as Violetta in La traviata, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte. She performed as a soloist with the Aspen Percussion Ensemble, singing Alberto Ginastera’s Cantata para América Mágica. As an Emerging Artist with the Seagle Festival, Anna sang the title role in Suor Angelica and covered Mary Johnson in Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers. While at Eastman, Anna sang Diana in Cavalli’s La Calisto and Cinderella’s Mother in Into the Woods. She was a soloist with the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra on John Harbison’s Mirabai Songs as the 2021 winner of the Voice & Opera Department Concerto Competition, and in Mozart’s Mass in C minor.
Also a seasoned competitor, Anna most recently won 2nd Place at the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition in San Francisco, CA. She was also a 2025 Winner of the Houston District of the Laffont Competition, and the 1st Place Winner of the Fielder Grant from the Music Club of Austin. Additional competition credits include being named a Finalist in the National Opera Association’s Carolyn Bailey Argento Vocal Competition, Semi-Finalist in the John Alexander National Vocal Competition, Finalist in the Vanderlaan Prize at Opera Grand Rapids, Winner of the Schmidt Undergraduate Vocal Competition, Encouraging Vocal Excellence Award Winner of the Orpheus International Vocal Competition, 2nd Place Winner of the Friends of Eastman Opera Competition, and Winner of the Eastman Voice & Opera Department Concerto Competition.