Camille Zamora (born December 14, 1976) is an American
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
recognized for her performance of
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
,
zarzuela
() is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name of ...
,
oratorio
An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...
,
art song
An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs ...
and American songbook.
She performs repertoire ranging from the early
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
to 21st century premieres by composers including
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
winners
Robert Aldridge and
Herschel Garfein Herschel Garfein (born January 17, 1958) is an American composer, librettist, stage director, and faculty member of the Steinhardt School of Music at New York University, where he teaches Script Analysis. Garfein is widely known for his libretto w ...
as well as
Prix de Rome winner
Christopher Theofanidis.
Of Spanish ancestry on her father's side, Zamora has performed works in Italian, German, French, Russian, Czech, and Chinese as well as her native English and Spanish. Reviewers from ''The New York Times'', ''The Wall Street Journal'' and ''The Houston Chronicle'' have praised her "dramatic, nuanced readings," her "divine soprano," and "the richness of her fabulously colorful and unwaveringly powerful soprano instrument," respectively.
Camille Zamora and fellow Juilliard graduate, Monica Yunus, are co-founders of
Sing For Hope
Sing for Hope is a non-profit organization founded by opera singers Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora. The two New York City based vocalists and alumnae of the Juilliard School established Sing for Hope as a resource for New York artists who want ...
.
Early life and education
Zamora grew up in Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
and Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, where her parents, former Peace Corps volunteers, were teachers. Zamora studied voice and piano at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, TX, which honored her with the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Zamora attended The Juilliard School
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...
, where she received her Master of Music in voice in 2002 and her Artist Diploma in opera studies in 2004. She was a member of the Juilliard Opera Center. At Juilliard, Zamora performed various principal roles, including the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro
''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premie ...
, the Governess in The Turn of the Screw, Diane in Orphée aux Enfers and Ermione in Oreste.
Zamora's training also included an apprenticeship in the Young Artists Program at Glimmerglass Opera, an opera fellowship at Aspen Music Festival and a Lucrezia Bori fellowship to study at Istituto Dante Alighieri in Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
Career
Zamora has performed internationally with ensembles including Orchestra of St. Luke's
The Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) is an American chamber orchestra based in New York City, formed in 1974.
Orchestra of St. Luke’s presents over 70 concerts, programs, and events in a variety of diverse musical genres every season, including an ...
, the London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
, the Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
Symphony, the American Symphony Orchestra
The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York-based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski whose mission is to demystify orchestral music and make it accessible and affordable for all audiences. Leon Botstein is the orchestra's m ...
, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Aberdeen Festival Orchestra, and the Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
Festival Orchestra, among others.[
Some of her performances are: Twin Spirits: Robert and Clara Schumann with ]Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-eart ...
, Joshua Bell, and Nathan Gunn
Nathan T. Gunn (born November 26, 1970, in South Bend, Indiana) is an American operatic baritone who performs regularly around the world. He is an alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he is currently a professor of vo ...
at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...
and LA's Music Center; La Voix Humaine at Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
(New Zealand) Opera and the Phoenicia International Festival; Così fan tutte
(''All Women Do It, or The School for Lovers''), K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte w ...
at Glimmerglass and Virginia Operas; Idomeneo at Boston Lyric Opera; Don Giovanni at Anchorage Opera; L'incoronazione di Poppea at Houston Grand Opera
Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...
; Ariadne auf Naxos at Utah Opera; Luisa Fernanda at Los Angeles Opera
The Los Angeles Opera is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.
Leadersh ...
; Oreste at Festival dei Due Mondi Spoleto; Die Liebe der Danae with American Symphony Orchestra
The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York-based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski whose mission is to demystify orchestral music and make it accessible and affordable for all audiences. Leon Botstein is the orchestra's m ...
; The Rainforest Cantata at Spoleto Festival USA; Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
’s Magnificat at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
; Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
’s Mass in C at Alice Tully Hall; the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’ Song of Elos at Carnegie Hall and at the American Academy in Rome; and the title roles in Susannah
''Susannah'' is an opera in two acts by the American composer Carlisle Floyd, who wrote the libretto and music while a member of the piano faculty at Florida State University. Floyd adapted the story from the Apocryphal tale of Susanna (Book of D ...
, Alcina, and Anna Bolena.
Zamora has appeared in concert with New York Festival of Song and the Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...
Festival, performed solo recitals for Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
’s Musical Connections Series and the Sarasota Artist Series, and has been featured in live recital broadcasts on NPR, BBC Radio, Deutsche Radio, and Sirius XM Radio.
Zamora has performed and recorded principal roles in '' La verbena de la Paloma'', ''La Revoltosa'', and '' Luisa Fernanda''. Her other recording include ''An AIDS Quilt Songbook: Sing for Hope'', and three albums with American Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leon Botstein: Schubert's ''Die Verschworenen'', Strauss’ ''Die Liebe der Danae'' and Hindemith's ''The Long Christmas Dinner''. In 2017, Zamora partnered with Glen Roven
Glen Paul Roven (July 13, 1957 – July 25, 2018) was an American two-time Emmy winning composer, lyricist, conductor and producer. He composed the music to "The Hillary Speeches" setting two of Mrs. Clinton's speeches to music which streamed op ...
to produce “The Hillary Speeches,” a filmed concert including two of Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
’s watershed speeches set to music. Zamora was also an associate producer on the album ''Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom'' which won the Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2016.
Zamora was featured with Yo-Yo Ma, Cristina Pato, and other artists of The Silk Road Ensemble in The Music of Strangers, the documentary film by Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville.
Zamora also writes a column on arts and culture for the Huffington Post. She has been a speaker on arts and culture panels at The Aspen Ideas Festival, The Fortune Most Powerful Women's Summit, The Huffington Post Third Metric Summit and Opera America.
Zamora has taught masterclasses and led seminars at universities and conservatories including Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, the University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
, University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
, and The Juilliard School
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...
.
Sing for Hope
In 2006, Camille Zamora joined with fellow opera singer and Juilliard graduate Monica Yunus
Monica Yunus (born 1979) is an American operatic soprano who has performed with many opera companies and music ensembles. She is the daughter of Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker, Noble Laurette economist Muhammad Yunus. About her singing q ...
to form Sing For Hope
Sing for Hope is a non-profit organization founded by opera singers Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora. The two New York City based vocalists and alumnae of the Juilliard School established Sing for Hope as a resource for New York artists who want ...
, a New York City-based non-profit organization that brings arts outreach programs to communities in need and provides a network of support for artists who want to give back to their communities.[ Sing for Hope offers a broad range of arts outreach programming, connecting artists with under-resourced schools, healthcare facilities, and community-based organizations, and presenting projects, such as the 88 Sing for Hope Pianos in parks and public spaces across New York City, to increase arts accessibility.]
The Sing for Hope model for artist-community engagement traces it roots to the annual AIDS fundraising gala concert that Zamora founded in memory of her late friend, tenor Frank Logan. In 2012, Zamora was featured in the AIDS Quilt Songbook 20th Anniversary Concert in New York City, premiering works by Herschel Garfein, Robert Aldridge, and Scott Gendel. The concert was produced by Sing for Hope to commemorate the classical music world's first organized response to the AIDS crisis.[
Sing for Hope puts artist-designed pianos on the streets of New York City for public use. 50 pianos were donated to public schools across the five boroughs in 2017.
]
Recognition
Zamora was named one of CNN's Most Intriguing People in 2010.[ In 2013, she was named one of the "Top 50 Americans in Philanthropy" by ''Town and Country Magazine'', featured as "New Yorker of the Week" by NY1, and profiled on NBC Latino.] Zamora was recognized by the ''Ladies Home Journal'' as one of the "16 Women That Made the World Happier." Beginning in 2012, Houston's Mayor Annise Parker presented the Camille Zamora Award to individuals who donate to Bering Omega Community Services for HIV/AIDS research. The annual award, created by the Bering Omega Board of Trustees, has expanded to honor individuals and organizations that make significant contributions to the Houston area community impacted by HIV/AIDS.
Zamora has performed at the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
and The Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. Zamora received a World Harmony Run Torch-Bearer Award in 2010, and has been recognized by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. In 2016, Zamora was named a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist.
References
External links
Official website
Sing for Hope
Camille Zamora Huffington Post
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zamora, Camille
American operatic sopranos
Singers from Texas
1970 births
Living people
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
Singers from Houston
20th-century American women opera singers
21st-century American women opera singers
Classical musicians from Texas