Patricia Racette

The celebrated American soprano, making her role debut, has starred in the world premieres of Tobias Picker’s Dolores Claiborne (San Francisco), An American Tragedy (Metropolitan Opera), and Emmeline (Santa Fe); Paul Moravec’s The Letter (Santa Fe); and Carlisle Floyd’s Cold Sassy Tree (Houston). Racette has earned acclaim repeatedly with those companies, as well as with the major companies of London, Paris, Barcelona, Munich, Vienna, San Francisco, Toronto, and Dallas. Recent new roles include the heroines of Salome, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, La voix humaine, The Consul, and The Ghosts of Versailles. This season’s highlights include La voix humaine (Dallas), which Racette also directs, and Street Scene (Monte Carlo, where she will perform her one-woman show, “Diva on Detour”). Last season included a reimagined La voix humaine (Philadelphia), Kát’a Kabanová (Barcelona), Kostelnicka/Jenufa (Santa Fe), and Trouble in Tahiti (Ravinia). Among Racette’s honors are the Grammy, Opera News, Richard Tucker, and Marian Anderson awards.

Previously at Lyric: Eight roles since 2000|01, most recently Sister Helen Prejean/Dead Man Walking (2019|20), title role/Madama Butterfly (2013|14, 2008|09); Mme. Lidoine/Dialogues of the Carmelites (2006|07).

Last updated: November 2, 2019
Photo: Kate Russell