Melissa Sondhi in Opera San Jose’s Verdi’s Rigoletto
An Indian opera singer, you say? It’s not every day you hear those words together, but I am so grateful to be able to share my unique journey with Indiaspora.
From L to R: Melissa Sondhi as Gilda and Edward Graves as the Duke of Mantua in Opera San José's production of "Rigoletto," at San Jose's California Theatre February 17-March 3, 2023. Photo credit: David Allen
I started singing at a very young age, about nine years old, and was fortunate enough to be the daughter of two Indian immigrants who came to this country to allow and support their children to follow their true passions, no matter what they might be. I was also fortunate to attend a school that had a classically trained soprano on staff as a voice teacher, who quickly became my private teacher. As I got older, she began to hear more of an operatic sound in my voice and gave me my first aria when I was 16 years old. Something clicked. It felt as though my big voice had finally found its home in the repertoire, and that my love for singing could know no bounds within the wide range of genres of classical music. I then went on to receive my Bachelor of Music degree in voice from The University of Michigan, as well as my Master of Music degree in voice from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
When I first began working out of school, I started out by getting featured chorus roles and understudying small roles. Over the years, I’ve slowly and steadily gotten bigger roles with each succeeding show I’ve been involved in, and I always dreamed that my journey would lead me to the amazing opportunity I currently have.
From top to bottom: Eugene Brancoveanu as Rigoletto and Melissa Sondhi as Gilda in Opera San José's production of "Rigoletto," at San Jose's California Theatre February 17-March 3, 2023. Photo credit: David Allen
I am extremely honored to be the first inaugural Wadhwani Artist-in-Residence at Opera San José, as OSJ feels passionately about being an incubator not only for operatic talent, but also being a home for South Asian opera artists — from singers, to designers, to choreographers, and more. Opera San José wants the Bay Area community to be connected to our performances, and that means being a home for South Asian operatic talent. The Wadhwani Foundation, whose philanthropic efforts are broad and extensive, has partnered with Opera San José to support this effort. Opera San José was founded 40 years ago by mezzo-soprano Irene Dalis and the opera company maintains a resident company of principal artists, serving as an incubator for emerging operatic talent by producing world-class opera performances. Through the help of this partnership, I feel I am growing in ways as an artist that are truly invaluable, and I know will help me continue to prosper and thrive throughout my career.
One of the main challenges opera faces today is the assumption that there is a lack of diversity, but thanks to companies like Opera San José, that challenge is being conquered more and more every day. Many operatic stories can be told through a multitude of different lenses, which is one of the main reasons I adore this art form— diversity and visibility are what make opera all the more relatable and accessible.
I am singing the lead soprano role of Gilda in Verdi’s timeless classic, Rigoletto at Opera San José, running from February 17-March 3 at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose, and I recently sang the role of Juliet in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet with Opera San José in September. I will also be singing the role of Rosalba in the Bay Area premiere of Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas this coming April and May. Getting the chance to perform these roles has truly been a dream come true, and I cannot thank Opera San José enough for seeing and believing in me.
To purchase tickets to see Melissa in the Opera San José production of Verdi’s Rigoletto playing February 17-March 3 or in the Bay Area premiere of Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas April 20-May 5, please visit operasj.org or call the box office at 408-437-4450.
About the Author
Soprano Melissa Sondhi returns to Opera San José as the inaugural Wadhwani Artist-in-Residence this season, where she is making three major role debuts: Juliet in the season opener Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet, Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, and Rosalba in Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas. Her previous appearances with the company include Barbarina in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and the First Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Previous roles include Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème (San Francisco Opera Guild), Le feu and Le rossignol in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges (Air Opera Collective), Angelina in Arthur Sullivan and William Schwenck Gilbert’s Trial by Jury (Lyric Theatre of San José), and Giannetta in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (Pocket Opera). In 2023, Sondhi won first place in the Adult Classical Voice category at the Los Angeles Semifinals of the Music International Grand Prix competition and was also a semifinalist in the Orpheus Vocal Competition in 2021.
