American soprano Erin Schmura, has been hailed for her “enormous voice, comedic timing,” and “magnetic stage presence” (Democrat & Chronicle). Erin is an avid proponent of twenty-first century and contemporary music, having premiered three new roles with CO-OPERA in collaboration with Pittsburgh Opera: Sien from Last Night in the Hague, Amara II from For the Time of Being, and The Woman from The Elephants.

 

Erin was an Apprentice Artist at the Miami Music Festival. There she sang the role of The Rooster in Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen. This spring, Schmura will join Resonance Works in their main stage production of Dvořák's Rusalka singing the role of the Second Wood Nymph. 

​

Other previous credits include the lead role of Polly from The Beggar’s Opera with the Carnegie Mellon Opera Department. Eastman Opera Theater roles include the lead role of Helene from Hin und Zurück, Javotte from Manon, Ayah from The Secret Garden, and Donna Elvira (partial) from Don Giovanni. Erin has sung as a Young Artist with the Ohio Light Opera Company, performing Marsinah from Kismet. Role studies at various summer festivals have included Elettra (Idomeneo), Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem Serail). Schmura has studied in Austria performing with the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz. There she studied with conductor and Musical Director of the Hamburger Kammeroper, Ettore Prandi and worked with famed soprano and recitalist, Barbara Bonney.

 

Erin earned her Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music, under the tutelage of renowned pedagogue, Kathryn Cowdrick.  Schmura holds her Master of Music and Advanced Musical Studies Certificate in Vocal Performance from the Carnegie Mellon School of Music, studying with soprano, Jennifer Aylmer. Erin's passion for language has allowed her to perform in over 14 languages in recitals and oratorios.  In particular, her study has enabled her to connect closely to her Czech heritage and to the music of the Czech people through language and cultural studies from Univerzita Karlova in Prague, Czech Republic.  

 

​

​​