Katherine Drago, mezzo-soprano

Katherine Drago is a third-year Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist. In the 2009-10 season, she is slated to cover the role of Olga in Eugene Onegin, perform as Meg Page in Falstaff, Bianca in The Rape of Lucretia, Mercedes in Carmen and Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro Student Matinee.

In past seasons she has appeared as Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, the Stewardess in Flight, Romeo in the Student Matinee performance of The Capulets and the Montagues and Zulma in The Italian Girl in Algiers. She also covered Ma Joad in the world premiere of the revised version of The Grapes of Wrath and was featured in an evening of music by Ricky Ian Gordon, with the composer at the piano.

Ms. Drago recently debuted in the role of Ottavia in The Coronation of Poppea with Opera Vivente. She spent the summer of 2008 as an Apprentice Artist with The Santa Fe Opera where she appeared in Le Nozze di Figaro, Falstaff and the American premiere of Adriana Mater. She also performed as Zerlina in Don Giovanni in the apprentice scenes program. In the summer of 2009 she returned to The Santa Fe Opera to sing the title role in La Périchole in the apprentice scenes program. She also covered the role of Zerlina in Don Giovanni and stepped in to perform in the final three performances.

A native of Chicago, Ms. Drago holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and Northwestern University. Immediately upon graduating from Northwestern, she joined the Broadway National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera. Returning to Chicago, she was a featured young artist with the Chicago Opera Theater for two seasons where she appeared as Venere in L'incoronazione di Poppea and French Mother in Death In Venice.

Other recent appearances include Marquise de Merteuil in The Dangerous Liaisons and Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti with CCM; Ruth in Pirates of Penzance with Music by the Lake; Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with Rising Star Opera Theater; and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Milwaukee Opera Theater, Opera for the Young.

An active soloist, Ms. Drago has sung with the Lebanon Symphony (OH), Asheville Symphony, Peninsula Music Festival, Cheyenne Symphony, Chatham Baroque, Erie Philharmonic and Berkshire Choral Festival.

In addition to Pittsburgh Opera, Chicago Opera Theater and The Santa Fe Opera, Ms. Drago has been a young artist with Berkshire Opera, The Lake Placid Institute and Intermezzo Opera and has sung in the choruses of Lyric Opera Chicago and Cincinnati Opera. She has been the recipient of awards from the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the Bel Canto Foundation, The Nadia and Lili Boulanger Foundation and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Katherine Drago's Website