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The American mezzo-soprano, Emily Fons, obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Luther College; and her Master of Music degree in Opera/Musical Theater from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale (2006-2008). After her studies, she was Young Artist, Principal Artist at The Santa Fe Opera (June 2008-April 2012).
Emily Fons made a successful role and company debut with Kentucky Opera as Sister Helen Prejean in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking and appeared in Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, followed by performances as the title role in Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortilèges, first with the Berliner Philharmoniker, and then in Japan as part of the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nagoya. She had the honor of premiering art songs by James Stephenson on a recital at the Polish Center of Wisconsin and performing for the second time Kathleen Ginther’s The River Merchant’s Wife which she premiered with the Southern Illinois University concert choir and wind ensemble at Orchestra Hall in Chicago in 2011.
In the summer of 2018, Emily Fons made her company debut with the highly acclaimed Haymarket Opera Company in Chicago singing the title role in Cesti’s Orontea. In the 2017-2018 season, she also returned to the Cleveland Orchestra as the mezzo-soprano soloist in W.A. Mozart's Requiem, and made her company debut with Opera North Carolina reprising the role of Ruby Thewes in Jennifer Higdon’s Grammy nominated opera Cold Mountain. She created the role of Ruby in the opera’s premiere at the Santa Fe Opera in 2015. She began 2019 at Seattle Opera singing the role of Laurene Powell Jobs in Mason Bates’ and Mark Campbell’s The [R]evolution of Steve Jobs. She then returned to Michigan Opera Theatre to sing Hansel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel, and finished the 2019 season in Seattle with a role debut as Maddalena in Rigoletto. She took on the title role in Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea with Opera Theatre of St. Louis in June of 2019. The 2019-2020 season continued with a return to the Atlanta Opera for the title role in Rossini’s La Cenerentola and a return to the Canadian Opera Company for the role of Hänsel in a new production of E. Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel.
The 2020-2021 season included a drive-in movie style production of Il Barbiere Di Siviglia at San Diego Opera, a company debut in the title role of La Cenerentola at the famous Ascend Arena with Nashville Opera, and a filmed version of George Frideric Handel's Orlando with Haymarket Opera. The 2021-2022 season began with an important role debut as G.F. Handel's Ariodante at the Göttingen International Handel Festival. Emily Fons then made a role and company debut singing Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice with Inland Northwest Opera. In 2022 she returned to Japan for a production of Die Fledermaus with the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, followed by performances of one of her signature roles, Cherubino, in W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro with Seattle Opera. The season ended with performances of Rosina in The Barber of Seville at Santa Fe Opera in a production that was a box office hit and kept audiences laughing from start to finish.
The 2022-2023 season brought premieres and new productions, along with familiar roles and companies. Emily Fons started her season at New Orleans Opera in a new production of Hansel and Gretel. In early 2023 she reprised the role of Cherubino in the Claus Guth production of Le Nozze di Figaro at Canadian Opera Company followed by an exciting world premiere as the central character in Nicolas Reveles’ House part of the Ghosts triple bill at San Diego Opera. Following the premiere of Ghosts she premiered the role of Mrs. Elizabeth Worrall in James Stephenson and Matt Boresi’s world premiere of Cåraboo with the International Chamber Artists. She then made her company debut with Cincinnati opera as Rosina in The Barber of Seville in addition to presenting a cabaret night performance of storytelling and song as part of Cincinnati Opera’s inaugural Studio Sessions series.
Emily Fons began 2024 with a company debut at Palm Beach Opera singing Nicklausse/Muse in Les Contes D’Hoffmann. 2024 continues with a return to Madison Opera for their beloved Opera in the Park, and a role debut as Irene in G.F. Handel's Tamerlano with Haymarket Opera. She looks forward to appearing with the acclaimed Music of the Baroque for J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248, as well as continuing to perform with her cabaret partner, pianist Janna Ernst, in venues around the Milwaukee and Chicago areas.
Emily Fons has made several exciting role and company debuts in recent seasons that have set her apart as a versatile, powerful, and engaging performer. She was hailed by Opera News as one of opera’s rising stars and one of the best singing actresses of her generation, and received a Grammy nomination for her work on Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain.
Emily Fons has been lauded for her virtuosic abilities in Baroque and Bel Canto repertoire, her winning portrayals of opera’s traditional “trouser roles”, and the dramatic commitment and musicality she brings to modern works. In recent seasons she has sung with Canadian Opera Company, Seattle Opera, The Berlin Philharmonic, The Santa Fe Opera, The International Händel Festspiele, the Cleveland Orchestra, Palm Beach Opera, Haymarket Opera, San Diego Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Madison Opera, the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
Other notable performances include the title role in Rossini’s La Cenerentola in a new production by Jean Bellorini for Opéra de Lille, Stéphano in Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette with the Santa Fe Opera, Cherubino in W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro in Claus Guth’s acclaimed production at the Canadian Opera Company, Dorabella in Opera Omaha’s new production of W.A. Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, a role debut as Donna Elvira in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Florentine Opera, the title role in G.F. Handel's oratorio Susanna with the International Händel Festspiele, and the title role in Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortilèges with maestro Seiji Ozawa.
Emily Fons is enjoying a successful international career while also staying committed to performing in and giving back to the communities she works in, and her home state of Wisconsin. She presents cabaret style performances with pianist Janna Ernst, and is co-authoring a book on personal finance for young singers with financial wellness educator and expert Rebecca Eve Selkowe in the hopes of educating future singers on the importance of building careers that work for them and provide stability for the lives they desire. |
