American soprano Emma McNairy, critically acclaimed for her performance as the title role in Berg's Lulu with West Edge Opera, was praised by San Francisco Classical Voice as being the "sexiest and most vocally agile Lulu imaginable." For her portrayal of Lulu, she was nominated alongside Susan Graham for "Best Opera Performer" of San Francisco's 2014-2015 season by San Francisco Classical Voice's "Best of the Bay" contest. They will join the Ensemble of Staatstheater Meiningen in the 2023/2024 season, singing various roles in the lyric soprano Fach. In 2022, Ms. McNairy joined Staatstheater Kassel singing Ännchen in Der Freischütz directed by Ersan Mondtag, as well as Elvire in Auber's La Muette de Portici. She is also slated to sing a Liederabend with Giulia Glennon, featuring female composers, in March 2023 in collaboration with Staatstheater Kassel.​ In March 2022, she made her debut at the Bucharest National Opera, singing Schönberg's Pierrot Lunaire under the baton of Iosif Prunner. A member of the Ensemble at Theater Lübeck from 2016-2020, Ms. McNairy sang various roles including Madeleine de Faublas in Ball im Savoy, Erissena in Graun's Montezuma, Donna Anna (cover) in Don Giovanni, Sophie in Werther, Dede in Bernstein's A Quiet Place, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Dalinda in Ariodante, La Contessa di Folleville in Il viaggio a Reims, and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, and the title role of Richard van Schoor's world premiere, L'Européenne. ​In 2018, Ms. McNairy made her Lincoln Center debut with the Mostly Mozart Festival in Bernstein's Mass under the baton of Louis Langrée, and sang the title role of Haydn's Armida with the Victory Hall Opera in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2019. She has been a guest artist at Oper Kiel, Stadttheater Gießen, Hamburg's Laeiszhalle, Opera Siam, Livermore Valley Opera, West Edge Opera, Brava! Opera Theater, and a tour of the breakdance fusion opera, MonteverdISH, based on L'incoronazione di Poppea in the Netherlands with Silbersee. Ms. McNairy graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she was a two-time recipient of the "Outstanding Achievement Award in Opera", as well as the winner of the SFCM Voice Concerto Competition. She has received Second Prize in the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition (Tier 1) as well as Second Prize in the 7. Internationale Lions Gesangswettbewerbe of the Gut Immling Opernfestival. She won First Prize in Berkeley Piano Club's Dorothy Van Waynen Voice Competition, the Ben DeBolt Memorial Award in the Holt Scholarship Competition, First Prize in the Burlingame Music Club Competition, Second Prize in the East Bay Opera League Scholarship Award Competition, First Prize in Art Song and Second Prize in Musical Theater in the San Francisco Bay Area NATS Competition, Third Prize in the Franco-American Vocal Academy's National Grand Concours de Chant, and was a finalist in the Brava! Opera Competition. As a young artist, Ms. McNairy spent two summers at Music Academy of the West under the tutelage of Marilyn Horne, was in the Opera New Jersey Young Artist Program, and was in the first year of the iSing International Young Artist Program in Beijing.