Marnie Brekenridge

Acclaimed American soprano and actor Marnie Breckenridge continues to captivate international audiences with her commanding stage presence and vocal artistry, performing a diverse repertoire that spans Baroque, Bel Canto, and Contemporary works. She has graced leading opera and symphony stages across the globe—from London to New York to Tokyo—earning a reputation as a luminous and versatile performer.

A prominent figure in the world of contemporary opera, Breckenridge is celebrated for her deeply affecting portrayals, refined musicianship, and grounded, emotionally resonant storytelling. Critics have lauded her “lovely soprano” (The New York Times) and praised the “lyrical poignancy and dramatic power” of her performances (The Chicago Tribune).

Highly sought after by today’s most gifted composers, Breckenridge has originated roles in eight world-premiere operas to date and recorded extensively with living composers. Her collaborators span a remarkable range of artistic voices, including Lorin Maazel, Robert Carsen, Luna Pearl Woolf, Constantine Orbelian, Gordon Getty, Vladimir Jurowski, Donald Runnicles, Jake Heggie, Laura Kaminsky, David T. Little, Royce Vavrek, Mark Campbell, Nicole Paiement, Missy Mazzoli, Laura Schwendinger, and many more. She has also shared the stage or screen with iconic artists such as Kiri Te Kanawa, Frederica von Stade, Patti LuPone, Matt Haimovitz, Dave Eggar, and Mason Bates.

Her performances have been featured with major companies including San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, English National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Parallèle, The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Russian Philharmonic, Prague State Opera, and Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

In 2024, the Orlando Sentinel praised Breckenridge’s riveting portrayal of the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera Orlando, conducted by Robert Wood. She is set to return to the company in 2026 for their A Decade of Divas gala concert.

Equally at home in theatre and film, Breckenridge recently made a notable foray into cinema, bringing operatic storytelling to the screen as Kathie in Gordon Getty’s opera film Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Her exceptional artistry has earned numerous accolades, including Canada’s 2020 Dora Mavor Moore Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Individual in an Opera” in Jacqueline (about cellist Jacqueline du Pré), with a second nomination for the same role in 2025. She was also named “Alumni of the Year” by the San Francisco Conservatory, receiving the Fanfare Award for her achievements.

Breckenridge’s recorded legacy includes recent releases such as Everyone Sang by David Conte, The Layers and Mortality Mansions by Herschel Garfein, There Is Another Sky by Henry Mollicone, Summer Songs and In Real Life by Robert Paterson, Arab Love Songs by Richard Aldag, and numerous others. She is also featured on Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s Heroes & Villains, New World Records’ Victor Herbert Collected Songs, and her own holiday album Happy Golden Days, available on all major streaming platforms.

Upcoming engagements include the role of Jacqueline at the PDX Festival in Portland, Oregon (August 2025), and Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore with Toledo Opera (January 2026).