Victoria
Lawal

Victoria Lawal

Hailed as “smooth-voiced, yet strong” (The New York Times), Nigerian American soprano Victoria Lawal's makes her debut with Chautauqua Opera Company as Mrs. Hodge in the First Orchestral Workshop of Lincoln in the Bardo by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, in co-production with the Metropolitan Opera. Victoria also reprises the role of Musetta in the company's production of La Bohème. Recent engagements include debuting at Detroit Opera as the Rooster in The Cunning Little Vixen and Mary Johnson in Opera Parallèle’s Fellow Travelers.

Media

Video

Give Me Nobody Without Your Soul

from Blue Steel by William Grant Still

Video

Porgi Amor

Le nozze di Figaro

(They/She) Hailed as “smooth-voiced, yet strong” (The New York Times), Nigerian American soprano Victoria Lawal's makes her debut with Chautauqua Opera Company as Mrs. Hodge in the First Orchestral Workshop of Lincoln in the Bardo by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, in co-production with the Metropolitan Opera. Victoria also reprises the role of Musetta in the company's production of La Bohème. Recent engagements include debuting at Detroit Opera as the Rooster in The Cunning Little Vixen and Mary Johnson in Opera Parallèle’s Fellow Travelers.

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Career Highlights/Education

Chautauqua Opera

Apprentice Artist, Lincoln in the Bardo, 2025

Opera Saratoga

Soloist, Frida Khalo and the Bravest Niña en el Mundo, Present

Management

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Schedule

Recent Highlights

Lady M

Sister

Heartbeat Opera

Center Stage Concert

Liza (Pique Dame)

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Center Stage Concert

Mrs. Fiorentino

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Così fan tutte

Despina

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Treemonisha

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Susannah

Mrs. Hayes

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Maria Manetti Shrem Fellows Concert

Magda (La Rondine)

Festival Napa Valley

Don Pasquale

Norina

Festival Napa Valley

Maria Manetti Shrem Fellows Concert

Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia)

Festival Napa Valley

Maria Manetti Shrem Fellows Concert

Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro)

Festival Napa Valley

Aida

High Priestess

Tulsa Opera

Fidelio

Marzelline

Heartbeat Opera

La bohème

Musetta

Opera Birmingham

The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson

Isabelle

The Glimmerglass Festival

Carmen

Micaëla

The Glimmerglass Festival

Die Zauberflöte

First Lady

The Glimmerglass Festival

To the World

Ermengarde (Hello, Dolly!) Sarah (Ragtime)

The Glimmerglass Festival

The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson

Isabelle

The Glimmerglass Festival

The Knock

Soprano #2

The Glimmerglass Festival

Mozart's Requiem

Soprano Soloist

Angeles Chorale

Adoration

Sabine

Beth Morrison Projects

The Body Female

Opal

LA Opera

Beethoven's Mass in C

Soprano Soloist

Nikkei Choral Ensemble

Opera in the 21st Century

Artist in Residence

Banff Centre for Art and Creativity

La Cenerentola

Clorinda

The Opera Buffs

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Helena

Thornton Opera

Le nozze di Figaro

Contessa Almaviva

Thornton Opera

Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem

Soprano Soloist

Angeles Chorale

Biography

Resume

“Hailed as “smooth-voiced, yet strong” (The New York Times), Nigerian American soprano Victoria Lawal’s recent engagements include a House and Role debut at Detroit Opera as the Rooster in The Cunning Little Vixen. Additionally, Victoria debuted the role of Mary Johnson in Opera Parallèle’s Fellow Travelers in which she "[nailed] her tormented, soaring number in the second act" (The San Francisco Chronicle). This spring, Victoria debuts with Opera Saratoga as Mariana in Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl en el Mundo, celebrating the life and work of the influential artist. Later in the season, Victoria will join the Chautauqua Opera Company as an Apprentice Artist. There, Victoria will sing the role of Mrs. Hodge in the first-ever Orchestrated workshop of Lincoln in the Bardo, commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera. A collaboration between Missy Mazzoli, and Royce Vavrek, based on the Booker-prize winning novel will receive its premiere at The Met in 2026. Victoria will also reprise the role of Musetta in Puccini's La Bohème, and sing Mrs. Talbot in Jeremy Gill's Ida by Lamplight, commissioned in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Chautauquan Daily.

In the 2022-2023 season, Victoria debuted the role of the High Priestess in Aida with Tulsa Opera led by Maestro Francesco Milioto. On hours notice, Victoria jumped in for opening night and subsequent performances of Heartbeat Opera’s critically acclaimed Lady M. Victoria then joined Opera Theatre of St. Louis for the summer season. Victoria covered the roles of Despina (Così fan tutte), Mrs. Hayes (Susannah), and the title role of Treemonisha. With the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Lawal was heard in scenes as Liza in Pique Dame and Mrs. Fiorentino in Street Scene.

In the 2021-2022 season Lawal was seen in recital, joined by pianist Mark Robson in a versatile program featuring songs by Julianna Hall, Respighi, Chabrier, Barber and Theodosia Roussos. On Film, Victoria starred in The Knock, a world premiere, commissioned by The Glimmerglass Festival. Hailed as "Smooth-voiced yet strong" (The New York Times), Lawal debuted the role of Marzelline (Marcy) in Heartbeat Opera's touring production of Fidelio. Victoria then enjoyed a house and role debut as Musetta with Opera Birmingham. After a company debut as Erste Dame in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Victoria returned to Glimmerglass to reprise her role in the 2022 expansion of The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, which features both excerpts from Carmen, and original music by Carlos Simon. Victoria performs as Isabelle/Micaëla alongside Denyce Graves, in the titular role. In tandem, Lawal covered the role of Micaëla in what marked Graves' directorial debut.

Engagements impacted by the global pandemic include Beethoven's Mass in C, Mozart's Requiem, and two World Premieres. With Beth Morrison Projects, Victoria was engaged to workshop the role of Sabine in Adoration and was to join Helsinki's Sibelius Academy, creating the role of Svitlana in All the truths we cannot see, depicting the 1986 Chernobyl Crisis.

Highlights of the 2019-2020 season included debut with the Angeles Chorale singing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, a role debut as Helena in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and originating the role of Opal in the World Premiere of The Body Female, commissioned by LA Opera.

Victoria has trained at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, The Glimmerglass Festival, The Banff Centre, The Aspen Music Festival, SongFest, Boston University and the University of Southern California. Victoria is currently based in Detroit, with her Tenor partner, River Guard and their cat Bijou.

Press Quotes

"Soprano Victoria Lawal is beautifully adept at making [Marzelline]’s aria emblematic of her character…"

— Blog Critics

"“[Marzelline is] smooth-voiced, yet strong in the soprano Victoria Lawal’s portrayal…”"

— The New York Times

"“Marzelline, hardly the innocent, duped soubrette of the original, was sung by the stunning Victoria Lawal…”"

— Opera Gazet

"“Victoria Lawal as [Marzelline] is a bright, effervescent presence on stage, who effectively gives voice to the young woman’s professional and personal dilemmas…” "

— Seen and Heard International

"“Lawal [is] confident and charismatic.”"

— Bachtrack