Stacey Tappan continues to distinguish herself as a world-class musical artist. In stellar reviews for her "witty and sexy" Adele inDie Fledermauswith the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, she was praised for the production's "most polished singing... her coloratura bright and well-focused." In 2008 she made her French debut with Opéra de Lille as Gilda inRigoletto, which she reprised with the Opéra de Dijon in 2010. Other recent engagements include Adina inL'elisir d'amoreand Despina inCosì fan tuttewith the Jacksonville Symphony, Woglinde and the Woodbird in theRing Cyclewith Los Angeles Opera, and a return to Lyric Opera of Chicago for multiple roles in Strauss'Die Frau ohne Schatten, covering Cleopatra in Handel'sGiulio Cesareand the title role inLulu, and singing the role of Nannetta in Verdi'sFalstaff.Last season's appearances included the Charmeuse inThaïsat the Edinburgh Festival, Woglinde and the Woodbird in San Francisco Opera'sRing Cycle, and Miss Wordsworth in Los Angeles Opera'sAlbert Herring.Next season she will be singingLucia di Lammermoorwith Arizona Opera and Clorinda inCenerentolawith Los Angeles Opera, as well as concert performances of Beethoven's9th Symphony, the MozartRequiemand Handel'sMessiah.
Tappan recently appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic singingWing on Wing, composed and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Mahler's"Symphony of a Thousand"at the Hollywood Bowl. She sang in the first concert of theRecovered Voicesseries at the Los Angeles Opera under the baton of James Conlon, subsequently joining Conlon at the Ravinia Festival to sing the rarely heard songs of Alexander Zemlinsky and Franz Schreker. She has also appeared with Los Angeles Opera as the Wren inThe Birds(released recently onDVD), Virtú and Pallade inL'incoronazione di Poppea, and the Dew Fairy inHansel and Gretel.
Heralded for her "breakthrough performance" as Bella in Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Sir Michael Tippett'sThe Midsummer Marriage, Ms. Tappan also has appeared with the Lyric Opera as the Woodbird and Woglinde in Wagner'sRing Cycle, the Charmeuse inThaïs, First Esquire inParsifaland Papagena in the student matinees ofDie Zauberflöte. While with the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists, she "turned heads throughout operatic America" and "emerged as a real star" as Isis in the world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa'sLovers and Friends: Chautauqua Variations.
She was a member of the Juilliard Opera Center and an ensemble artist with the Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Wolf Trap Opera, before making her professional debut with Houston Grand Opera as Beth inLittle Women, broadcast on PBS'Great Performances, released onCDby Ondine and onDVDby Naxos.Her awards include grants from the Elardo Competition and the Solti Foundation U.S., first place in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation competition, finalist in the MacAllister and Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum competitions, the Richard F. Gold Career Grant, the Lucrezia Bori award, and first place from the New York Singing Teachers Association, as well as scholarships from Wolf Trap Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, the University of Miami, and Chapman University.