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The American soprano and music teacher, Aryssa Leigh Burrs, obtained both her Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance and her Bachelor of Music Education degree in Choral/General Music from the University of Maryland in College Park (2013-2017); and her Master of Music degree in Voice and Opera Performance from Northwestern University (2018-2020). At Northwestern, she performed in numerous opera productions, including: Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus (2020); Captain in Dog Days (2019); Baba the Turk in Igor Stravinsky's The Rake’s Progress (2019), while also appearing as soloist with various choral and orchestral ensembles (David T. Little's Am I born; Stacy Garrop's Terra Nostra; Christopher Cerrone's The Branch Will Not Break).
Aryssa Burrs is hailed for her “rich sound and thoughtful musical ideas” while “transcending vocal styles and genres with flexibility and ease.” She spent the Summer 2021 season as an Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera. While with CCO, she performed a solo Al Fresco Concert, covered the role of Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas, and was a feature ensemble member in a paired down production of Carousel. Aryssa will return as a Resident Artist with Opera Columbus-Capital University (2020-2022), where she was be seen singing the role of Zerlina in their spring 2021 production of W.A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Other recent engagements include Elvis Costello’s The Juliet Letters with UrbanArias (2019) and Mame Dennis in Mame at The Seagle Festival (2018). As she is committed to using music for cultural and social justice causes, one of her most cherished performances include her orchestral debut with the Charlotte Symphony as a featured soloist with the acclaimed drag queen production of Thorgy and the Thorchestra. She also had the honor to perform a set of musical theater and operatic hits for the incomparable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at a “thank you” dinner.
During the pandemic, Aryssa Burrs got to continue to hone her passion for progressive concert work and a lifelong interest in exploring musical styles through story and song. In January 2021, she created, produced, and performed in the virtual debut performance of her concert entitled Identify, which raised funds for the non-profit organization “Phenomenal Womxn” to launch their summer camp to teach empowerment through the arts to young girls. This concert looks at her personal pillars of identity and the music and visual arts that help her to feel challenged, curious, and ultimately empowered in those bits of herself; all with the intent, of inviting audience and collaborators alike to join her in the use of art in their own explorations. Identify, to be performed again for many seasons to come, encompasses styles ranging from English Baroque, French mélodie, German romanic opera, to contemporary feminist pop.
Aryssa Burrs has taught K-12 General and Choral Music in Montgomery County, MD, Public Schools, while maintaining a private voice and piano studio. Continuing to use her commitment and passion for educational programming,
She is currently teaching music and music theatre courses, leading dramatic coachings, and teaching solo voice at Capital University in the virtual format. DC Metro Theater Arts states, “From the moment she burst onstage, Aryssa [Leigh] Burrs charmed and dazzled the audience with her rich, full voice…she has the knack for singing pop and jazz music exceptionally well without compromising her vocal technique. She currently lives in College Park, Maryland.” |
