Soprano Lori Phillips is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and expressive voices in the opera industry. In May 2010, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer, which was broadcast live on Sirius Satellite Radio. Also in the spring 2010, Ms. Phillips made her role debut as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre with Hawaii Opera Theater. Opera News said, “Soprano Lori Phillips was a terrific Brünnhilde: her voice started out in excellent form and kept getting better, her clarion upper register sending chills down one’s spine.”

Upcoming engagements include the title role of Turandot with Opera Lyra Ottawa and Portland Opera, the title role of Aida at Hawaii Opera Theater, Maddalena in Andrea Chenier with the Nashville Opera, and Wozzeck at the Metropolitan Opera. Additional noted engagements from the past two seasons – 2008 through 2010 – include Leonora in Fidelio with Portland Opera, Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana with Opéra de Québec, Giorgetta in Il Tabarro and Turandot covers at the MET, the title role of Turandot with Opera Carolina, The Mother in Il Prigionero and Signora Fabien in Volo di Notte with the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Utah Symphony and Opera, and a tour in Japan with Asian American Symphony Orchestra, including a concert at Tokyo’s International Forum.

In addition, Ms. Phillips made her Washington National Opera debut as Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer in 2008. The Washington Post said, “at the Kennedy Center, American soprano Lori Phillips took the part of Senta ¼ and sang the aria superbly ¼ Phillips made “Johohoe! Traft ihr das Schiff”a heartfelt display. The vocal line leapt and contracted ¼ Phillips – recently earning more parts on elite stages – skillfully applied color and detail; through a purposeful fragility, she unmasks Senta’s devotion that eventually culminates in a mandatory Wagnerian love-death.”

In previous recent seasons, Ms. Phillips’ noted performances include Ariane in Ariane et Barbe-bleue with the Vancouver Opera, L’Opera de Nice, and Opéra National de Paris (Bastille) on tour in Japan; the title roles of Turandot and Madama Butterfly at New York City Opera; Turandot with Atlanta Opera; Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana with Vancouver Opera; Lady Macbeth in Macbeth with Arizona Opera; the Foreign Princess in concert performances of Rusalka with the Fort Worth Symphony; the title role in the world premiere of Jun Kaneko’s production of Madama Butterfly for Opera Omaha; Minnie in La Fanciulla del West with Utah Opera; Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera for Opera Memphis, Seattle Opera and Vancouver Opera; Gertrude in Hänsel und Gretel for Dallas Opera; Gerhilde in Seattle Opera’s Der Ring des Nibelungen; Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer with the Hawaii Opera Theatre; Leonora in Il Trovatore in her debut with Florentine Opera; as well as Turandot, Madama Butterfly and Desdemona in Otello for the Nashville Opera.

The award-winning soprano’s concert and recording career includes the 2007 release of Ariane et Barbe-bleue on Telarc with Mo. Leon Botstein and the BBC Symphony, for which she has received critical acclaim worldwide. Opera News said, “Aside from the brilliant orchestra, the other pillar here is the long, demanding part of Ariane, who must be both flexible and forceful. Soprano Lori Phillips masters the contradictory traits of this verbose heroine and shapes the irregular lines with idiomatic expressiveness.” She has also recorded Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis for Naxos under the musical direction of Mo. Kenneth Schermerhorn. A advocate of new music, Ms. Phillips has frequently collaborated with New York City’s American Opera Projects, and created the role of Patience in the world premiere of Kimper/Persons’ opera Patience and Sarah at the Lincoln Center Festival, which won a GLAMA Award.