Described as having “a strikingly beautiful voice with a glorious top and a rich middle,” American Taiwanese soprano Calista 若婕 Smith recently began her master’s degree at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, studying with Gwen Coleman. She earned a BM in voice and opera and a BA in communications from Northwestern University, where she sang Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, Cendrillon in Cendrillon, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Oberto in Alcina, and the soprano solo in Beethoven’s Mass in C Major. Recently, Calista was named a District Winner in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition’s North Carolina District, as well as an Encouragement Award winner from the Southeast Region of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. During her two summers at the Aspen Music Festival, she appeared as the German woman in Jimmy Lopez's Bel Canto and covered Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro. Other recent engagements include covering Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro and singing the Vixen in scenes from The Cunning Little Vixen, as well as winning awards from the Schmidt Undergraduate Vocal Competition, the Donald Chen Young Artists Competition, and the American Opera Society of Chicago. She will be joining Wolf Trap Opera as a Studio Artist this coming summer, where she will sing the Shepherd in Tosca at the Filene Center.

“It is the greatest privilege to share this art form with others, and it is an endeavor that I do not take for granted. Through my art, I hope to inspire people to think about the “why?” behind everything we do, in the hopes of creating a more compassionate, connected society. Art has allowed me to deepen my understanding of myself and what it means to be human, and I truly desire to help others do the same. To have even a small part in making someone feel seen is all I can hope for, and it continues to be the deepest honor of my life.”

- Calista

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