Bree
Nichols
Bree Nichols is a young American soprano praised for her “rich vocal disposition” (KlasikaPlus) and compelling stage presence. A Fulbright grantee to the Czech Republic in 2021–22, Bree is known for her sensitive interpretations of Czech vocal music as well as over a dozen operatic roles spanning a diverse repertoire. Her career has taken her to the stages of Tulsa Opera, the Silesian Theatre Opava, North Czech Philharmonic, Pilsen Opera, Symphony of the Mountains, Capitol City Opera, Opera Roanoke, Lewisville Lake Symphony, the Olomouc Baroque Festival, and more.
Schedule
Upcoming Engagements
Bree Nichols
Jenůfa
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Recent Highlights
Description
Opera Arlington proudly presents Rusalka, Dvořák's fairytale masterpiece!
Based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid and Slavic folklore, this magical tale will transport you into a fantasy forest, where a water nymph yearns for the love of a human prince, and an evil witch plots her downfall. But is it the witch's curse that will bring her demise, or the fickleness of the human heart?
Immerse yourself in Antonín Dvořák's breathtaking melodies and witness a cast of DFW's opera stars in this monumental Czech opera from the year 1900. Presented with Jaroslav Kvapil's original Czech text with English supertitles, this production will be performed with chamber orchestra (arranged by Michael Withers), conducted by Jason Lim and directed by Eliza Escalante.
FEBRUARY 2–3, 2024
FRIDAY & SATURDAY at 7:00pm
Tate Springs, 4201 Little Rd, Arlington, Texas 76016
Duration: approx. 2 hours, plus one 15-minute intermission
Bree Nichols
Rusalka
Dates
Description
Bree Nichols, soprano, performs the title role in Janáček's heart-rending 1921 opera, Káťa Kabanová, at the Silesian Theatre Opava (Slezské divadlo Opava). Her portrayal has been acclaimed by Ostravan.cz:
“American soprano Bree Nichols made her debut at the Silesian Theatre, and her performance earned a thunderous reception from the first. Bree’s beautiful, dramatically-projected soprano perfectly dominates the stage!
“It’s a wonder how outstanding this young singer’s articulation is, who, through the quality of her pronunciation... rivals native Czech speakers.
“In her every note was the sound of a human heart laid bare, yearning for a love without humiliation, cruelty, and falsehood. Bree Nichols as Káťa Kabanová... presented a fantastic performance, which is, particularly from a vocal perspective, of an international caliber.”
Conductor: Marek Prášil
Director: Jana Andělová Pletichová
About the Opera:
The allure of forbidden fruit can be more powerful than societal conventions. Love can hurt, can make us laugh and cry—but it can also kill. The myriad emotions of love and hate are powerfully portrayed in this libretto and score by Leoš Janáček, who was himself torn by a very unconventional relationship with Kamila Stösslová.
After the success of Jenůfa, Janáček was drawn by the story of another tragic heroine: Káťa Kabanová, based on Alexander Ostrovsky's 1859 drama, The Storm. In an unhappy marriage, the emotionally needy Káťa succumbs to the young Boris, but under the weight of remorse, she confesses this betrayal to her husband. Her mother-in-law, the domineering Kabanicha, proposes a severe punishment—burial alive. A desperate Káťa ends her unfulfilled life in the Volga River.
Bree Nichols
Káťa
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Bree Nichols
Káťa
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Description
Presented in collaboration with the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library, Dvořák’s opera Rusalka tells the tale of a mermaid in love with a human prince.
Bree Nichols
Rusalka
Dates
Description
Bree Nichols, soprano, debuts the role of Mimì in Giacomo Puccini’s monumental opera, La bohème, at the Silesian Theatre Opava.
Director: Andrea Hlinková
Conductor: Miloslav Oswald
A celebration of youth, love, and joie de vivre through the eyes of impoverished artists in Paris, Puccini’s deeply moving La bohème is among the most frequently staged operas around the world. Follow the story of poet Rodolfo and young seamstress, Mimì, from the dream of love at first sight through heartbreak and loss, brought to life by some of the most passionate melodies ever written.
Bree Nichols
Mimì
Dates
Description
Bree Nichols was awarded 1st place in the Artist Division of the National Opera Association's 2023 Carolyn Bailey Argento Vocal Competition, receiving the Todd Duncan Legacy Award.
Bree Nichols
1st Place (Artist Division)
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Bree Nichols
Winner
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Nathaniel Malkow
Participant
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Description
In Menotti’s chilling opera The Medium, fake seances are business as usual for Madame Flora. However, on a fateful night, the usual façade shatters, leading to a series of events that promises to send shivers down your spine.
Composed by Gian Carlo Menotti
Libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti
Sung in English with piano accompaniment
1 hour performance with pre-show experiences
Bree Nichols
Monica
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Bree Nichols
Rosalinde
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Biography
Bree Nichols is a young American soprano praised for her “rich vocal disposition” (KlasikaPlus) and compelling stage presence. A Fulbright grantee to the Czech Republic in 2021–22, Bree is known for her sensitive interpretations of Czech vocal music as well as over two dozen operatic roles spanning a diverse repertoire. Her career has taken her to the stages of Tulsa Opera, the North Czech Philharmonic, Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, Divadlo J.K. Tyla, Symphony of the Mountains, Capitol City Opera, Opera Roanoke, Lewisville Lake Symphony, the Olomouc Baroque Festival, and more. Last season hailed her debuts in the title role of Káťa Kabanová at the Silesian Theatre in Opava, as Monica in Tulsa Opera’s production of The Medium, and her appearance at the Leoš Janáček International Music Festival. In 2023, Bree won 1st prize in the Artist Division of the National Opera Association’s Carolyn Bailey Argento Vocal Competition, as well as the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Arkansas District). Her expanding discography includes her solo debut album, Pure Morning, featuring all Czech repertoire, as well as multiple new music releases on the Navona Records label with the Janáček Philharmonic. Bree was named a 2023 recipient of the Bonnie Cummins Fielder Grant for Career Advancement and was winner of the 2020 Presser Award in support of her performance and study of Czech opera. Her recent roles include the title roles of Káťa Kabanová and The Bartered Bride as well as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Gilda in Rigoletto, and Nedda in Pagliacci. This season, she awaits her debuts as Mimì in La Bohème and Jenůfa in Její pastorkyňa at the Silesian Theatre Opava.
Off the stage, Bree Nichols is a scholar and innovator in community opera, where her performance experience informs her leadership in shaping the next generation of musicians. In 2022, she founded Opera Arlington, an organization created to enrich the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex through opera while galvanizing the careers of emerging singers. Bree is also founder and former general director of Stafford Opera Troupe in her hometown of Stafford, Virginia, where she created the Summer Opera Program offering free training and performance opportunities to young singers. Bree holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from University of North Texas and a Master of Music degree from University of Georgia. Her dissertation, culminating in the creation of an anthology of Czech opera arias with corresponding research, translations, and phonetic transcriptions, has galvanized her continuing performance and study of Czech opera and art song in the U.S. and abroad.
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