Biography in English 🇬🇧
Hailed by the New York Times for her “agile coloratura and shimmering sound” Italian-American soprano Jessica Rose Cambio is thrilling audiences and critics alike with her “full-bodied Italianate soprano” (WQXR New York) and “depth, oozing sex appeal, sudden and disarming flashes of vulnerability, impressive development of the pathos of the character throughout, powerful soprano in top form vocally and largely at ease at the top and with something spicy in the colour of the voice that makes her genuinely exciting to hear” (Bachtrack London).
Ms. Cambio’s most recent operatic season includes mainly substituting for ailing colleagues on various occasions and in several productions throughout Germany; Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème with Volkstheater Rostock, Alice Ford in Verdi's Falstaff with Theater Kiel on less than 24 hours' notice, and Agnès Sorel in Tchaikovsky's Russian opera Орлеанская дева (The Maid of Orléans) with Saarländisches Staatstheater, to name a few.
Previous seasons include her German role debut as Chrysothemis in Richard Strauss' Elektra in the Giancarlo DelMonaco production as well as the title role in the World Premiere of Nestor Taylor's opera Eleni, based on the Nicholas Gage New York Bestseller about the immigration and execution of his mother Eleni Gaztoyianni during the Greek Civil War with Theater Erfurt, where she was a part of the Fest ensemble for two and a half seasons.
During her time in Erfurt she debuted Agnès Sorel in The Maid of Orléans in the Domstufen Festspiele Erfurt, made a reprise as both the title role in Puccini's Manon Lescaut and substituted Lana Kos as Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s La Traviata, sang role debuts as Giulietta in Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann and Rosalinde in Strauss' Die Fledermaus, and debuted the title role in Verdi's Luisa Miller. In addition to her Fest season, she also jumped in twice as Mimì in La Bohème with Staatstheater Meiningen, once as Mimì with Volkstheater Rostock, and as Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor with Theater Osnabrück and performed in a Gala concert with the St. Galler Festspiele in Switzerland.
Previous notable engagements include the title role in Manon Lescaut with Oper Frankfurt, Alice Ford in Falstaff with Theater Osnabrück, a role debut as Liù in Turandot with Tulsa Opera, Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with both New York City Opera and New Orleans Opera, Violetta in La Traviata with Opera På Skäret in Sweden and West Green House Opera in London, and over 50 performances of La Bohème with Semperoper Dresden, in Francesca Zambello's production at Royal Albert Hall, in the theaters of Como, Brescia, Pavia, Cremona, Knoxville, Sarasota, in concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and on tour throughout Europe and Asia.
Her repertoire also includes Lina in Verdi’s Stiffelio, Giselda in I Lombardi alla prima crociata, Imogene in Bellini's Il Pirata, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Magda in La Rondine, Beatriz in Catán's La Hija de Rappaccini, and Monica in Respighi’s La Fiamma. Equally at home in the Belcanto repertoire as she is in Verismo, Ms. Cambio has made debuts in Lucia di Lammermoor, Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda with the Fondazione Arena di Verona, and Parisina d'Este with the Opera Orchestra of New York.
A seasoned concertist, she has performed at the homes of Giuseppe Verdi and Luciano Pavarotti, in Torino, Bologna, Torre del Lago, Modena, Rome, Helsinki, Stockholm, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, Istanbul, Tirana, in London at Barbican Hall, in honor of the United Nations at Carnegie Hall, and for the Maserati Centennial in the Imperial Palace of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. She has sung Strauss' Vier Letzte Lieder and Respighi's Il Tramonto in concert, made her oratorio debut in Bach's Magnificat at the Duomo di Modena, and has been featured on WQXR, La Voce di New York, and Italy's RAI 3.
Cambio has garnered prizes and grants in vocal competitions worldwide from organizations like the Richard Tucker, George London, Gerda Lissner, Licia Albanese-Puccini, Giulio Gari, Leiderkranz, and Georg Solti Foundations, Marie Kraja, Leyla Gencer, Loren Zachary Society, Anna Sosenko Assist Trust, and Opera Index. She was a finalist in the Voci Verdiane in Busseto and the Juliàn Gayarré in Pamplona, and a semi-finalist in Operalia in Verona and Quebec, Francisco Viñas in Barcelona, Dallas Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was also awarded a grant from the National Organization of Italian-American Women for her outstanding professional studies in Italian Literature.
In addition to performing, Cambio maintains her private studio in Berlin, conducts Masterclasses worldwide, and has taught Singing, Italian, English, and German on faculty at the International Vocal Arts Institute in New York, the Premiere Opera Vocal Arts Institute in Puglia, Italy, and the Fundación Ibáñez-Atkinson in Santiago, Chile. She holds a Master of Music from the University of Southern California, a Master of Arts in Italian Literature from Hunter College, and several post graduate certificates and honorary degrees from around the world. After many years in Italy as a pupil of world renowned sopranos Renata Scotto and Mirella Freni, she currently spends time in Rome under the guidance of Mariella Devia whenever possible.
Cambio is also the creator and host of Operina, an opera podcast for kids available wherever you listen to your podcasts. She is currently taking a sabbatical from the stage but continues to enjoy teaching full-time. In addition to her private vocal studio, she will join the faculty of the Berlin Opera Academy for the 2nd summer, and in September she will present a 5 day Masterclass alongside soprano Laura Giordano with Ortigia Opera Academy in Siracusa, Sicily. She also teaches Italian and German privately and is in the midst of perfecting her French.