Amina Edris is an Egyptian / New Zealand
lyric soprano .
Education
Edris was born in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, Egypt, to parents who worked in the tourism industry. She was introduced to music as a child by her uncle who plays the lute, guitar and Egyptian percussion instruments.
Edris' musical studies began with piano lessons at age seven. The family moved to New Zealand in 2002, where she continued her musical studies in high school. In addition to private voice lessons, she was a member of the
Barbershop Quartet
A barbershop quartet is a group of four singers who sing music in the barbershop style, characterized by four-part harmony without instrumental accompaniment, or a cappella. The four voices are: the lead, the vocal part which typically carries t ...
and choir, and she played trombone in the school's orchestra, concert band and jazz band.
She initially enrolled in the
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...
in Christchurch, New Zealand, as an
Engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
student. After one semester, however, she auditioned and was accepted into the music programme, and began studying with
Dame Malvina Major
Dame Malvina Lorraine Major (born 28 January 1943) is a New Zealand opera soprano.
Early life
Major was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, into a large musical family. As a child she performed at various concerts, singing mainly country and wester ...
. In 2011, she graduated with her Bachelor of Music degree.
Her studies then brought her to
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, where she enrolled in the master's degree programme at the
Wales International Academy of Voice
The Wales International Academy of Voice ( cy, Academi Llais Ryngwladol Cymru) was established by its founder, the Welsh tenor Dennis O'Neill CBE, to provide advanced voice, music and drama coaching to young professional opera singers from all ...
, studying under
Dennis O'Neill. After graduating in 2013 with her Masters in Music, she met her current teacher, Cesar Ulloa, with whom she began private lessons before studying with him at the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) is a private music conservatory in San Francisco, California. As of 2021, it had 480 students.
History
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music was founded in 1917 by Ada Clement and Lillian Hodgh ...
as a postgraduate student. She was awarded her postgraduate diploma in 2015.
She was accepted into the Merola Program in the summer of 2015,
where she made her role debut as Norina in ''
Don Pasquale''.
In 2016, she became an Adler Fellow at the
San Francisco Opera.
During her two years as a fellow she sang Frasquita in ''
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
'', Trainbearer in ''
Elektra'', Flower/Lady in Waiting in ''
Dream of the Red Chamber
''Dream of the Red Chamber'' (''Honglou Meng'') or ''The Story of the Stone'' (''Shitou Ji'') is a novel composed by Cao Xueqin in the middle of the 18th century. One of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, it is known for ...
'', Countess Ceprano in ''
Rigoletto'', and Annina in ''
La traviata
''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...
''. She also
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
the roles of Karolka and Barna in ''
Jenůfa'', Norina in ''Don Pasquale'', Zerlina in ''
Don Giovanni
''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...
'', Musetta in ''
La bohème'', and the title role in ''
Manon
''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was first ...
''.
Career
Edris made her professional debut with
Opera San José
Opera San José is an American opera company founded in 1984 by Irene Dalis (1925-2014) based in San Jose, California.
History
Opera San José was founded in 1984 by mezzo-soprano singer Irene Dalis (1925-2014), who directed the company for 30 ...
as Susanna in Mozart's ''
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 ...
'' in 2015. In 2017, she sang Tina in the rarely performed opera ''
Flight'' by Jonathan Dove with Opera Parallèle. In 2018, she made her debut with
New Zealand Opera as Adina in ''
L'elisir d'amore
''L'elisir d'amore'' (''The Elixir of Love'', ) is a ' (opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's ' (1831). The opera premiere ...
'', followed by her debut with
Washington National Opera as Glycère in Gounod's ''
Sapho''.
In 2019, she made her debut in France singing the title role in ''Manon'' at
Opéra national de Bordeaux
This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names.
"Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...
substituting for
Nadine Sierra
Nadine Sierra (born May 14, 1988) is an American soprano. She is most well known for her interpretation of Gilda in Verdi's ''Rigoletto,'' and Lucia in Donizetti's ''Lucia di Lammermoor.'' Currently performing in leading roles in the top opera hou ...
, receiving praise from the French press, including ''
Le Monde
''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
'' that called her voice "beautiful and round". The same year, she returned to the San Francisco Opera for her debut in the role of Juliette in Gounod's ''
Roméo et Juliette'',
followed by her debut at the
Grand Théâtre de Genève
Grand Théâtre de Genève is an opera house in Geneva, Switzerland.
As with many other opera houses, the Grand Théâtre de Genève is both a venue and an institution. The venue is a majestic building, towering over Place Neuve, official ...
as Fatime in ''
Les Indes galantes
(French: "The Amorous Indies") is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau with a libretto by Louis Fuzelier. It takes the form of an ''opéra-ballet'' with a prologue and (in its final form) four ''entrées'' (acts). Following an allegorical prologue, th ...
''. She returned to the role of Manon in February 2020, when she made her debut at the
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...
in a new production by Vincent Huguet.
Her operatic repertoire includes Micaëla in ''
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
'', Mimì and Musetta in ''
La bohème'', Violetta in ''
La traviata
''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...
'', Glycère in ''
Sapho'', Leïla in ''
Les pêcheurs de perles
' (''The Pearl Fishers'') is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It was premiered on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performances in ...
'', Adina in ''
L'elisir d'amore
''L'elisir d'amore'' (''The Elixir of Love'', ) is a ' (opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's ' (1831). The opera premiere ...
'', and Norina in ''
Don Pasquale''.
Her concert repertoire includes
Fauré's Requiem, Mahler's
Symphony No. 4, Rossinis ''
Petite messe solennelle'', J. S. Bach's cantata
''Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen'', BWV 51 and ''
St John Passion
The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (german: Johannes-Passion, link=no), BWV 245, is a Passion or oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, the older of the surviving Passions by Bach. It was written during his first year as direc ...
'', and
Vivaldi's ''Lauda Jerusalem,'' gala concerts at the
Opéra National de Bordeaux
This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names.
"Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...
and with Real Filharmonia de Galicia, and the Schwabacher Recital series with
San Francisco Opera.
Her 2021/22 season began with a role debut as Alice (''
Robert le diable'') at
Opéra national de Bordeaux
This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names.
"Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...
followed by her house and role debut at the
Opéra du Rhin
This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names.
"Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most ...
as Micaëla (''
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
''). Another role and house debut she performed as part of this season was Violetta (''
La Traviata
''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...
'') at Opéra de Limoges followed by her house debut in the same role at the
Canadian Opera Company. In the summer, Amina returned to the role of La Folie (''
Platée'') under the baton of
Marc Minkowski
Marc Minkowski (born 4 October 1962) is a French conductor of classical music, especially known for his interpretations of French Baroque works, and is the current general director of Opéra national de Bordeaux. His mother, Mary Anne (Wade), i ...
at
Opéra national de Paris
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...
. To end the season, she debuted the role of Adalgisa (''
Norma'') in concert at the
Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.
At the start of the 2022/23 season, Ms. Edris performed the role of Cleopatra in the world premiere of
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
’ opera, ''Antony and Cleopatra'' at
San Francisco Opera. She then made her second role debut of the season, as Marguerite in
Gounod’s ''
Faust'' in a new production at
Detroit Opera Detroit Opera is the principal opera company in Michigan, USA. The company is based in Detroit, where it performs in the Detroit Opera House. Prior to February 28, 2022, the company was named the Michigan Opera Theatre.
Each year it presents an ope ...
. To begin the new year, Ms. Edris made her debut with the
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
The Munich Radio Orchestra (German: ''Münchner Rundfunkorchester'') is a German symphony broadcast orchestra based in Munich. It is one of the two orchestras affiliated with the Bavarian Radio (Bayerischer Rundfunk), the other being the Bavarian ...
, performing
Massenet
Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884) and ''Werther'' ...
’s ''
Ariane
Ariane may refer to:
*Ariana (name), also Ariane, Arianne
Arts
* ''Ariane'' (Martinů), an opera by Bohuslav Martinů, first performed 1961
* ''Ariane'' (Massenet), an opera by Jules Massenet, first performed 1906
* ''Ariane'' (film), a 1931 ...
.'' She then joined her husband, Pene Pati of
Sol3 Mio
SOL3 MIO (stylised as SOLΞ MIO) is a New Zealand musical trio consisting of Moses Mackay, Pene Pati and Amitai Pati. Of Samoan descent and classically trained, Moses is a baritone, and the Pati brothers are operatic tenors.
Albums and tour ...
, in Prague for a Gala concert.
Edris is represented by Askonas Holt.
Repertoire
Her operatic repertoire spans across baroque, bel canto and romantic repertoire.
Personal life

Edris is married to New Zealand tenor
Pene Pati
SOL3 MIO (stylised as SOLΞ MIO) is a New Zealand musical trio consisting of Moses Mackay, Pene Pati and Amitai Pati. Of Samoan descent and classically trained, Moses is a baritone, and the Pati brothers are operatic tenors.
Albums and tou ...
.
["Juliet versus the aria: Soprano Amina Edris tackles the infamous 'Poison' aria"]
San Francisco Opera, September 2019
Awards
* First Prize female Singer and Audience Prize, 2018 Concours Bordeaux Medoc Lyrique
* Winner of the Deborah Riedel Award, Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Competition
* Winner, Sydney Eisteddfod McDonald's Operatic Aria Competition
* Winner, Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition 2016
Recordings
* ''Robert le Diable'', Palazzetto Bru Zane, September 23, 2022
References
External links
*
*
Performance schedule Operabase
Performances and reviews ''
Bachtrack
''Bachtrack'' is a London-based international online music magazine which publishes listings of classical music, opera, ballet and dance, as well as reviews of these genres, interviews and general feature articles.
History
Bachtrack Ltd was r ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edris, Amina
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
New Zealand operatic sopranos
21st-century New Zealand women opera singers
Singers from Cairo
Egyptian emigrants
Immigrants to New Zealand
University of Canterbury alumni
San Francisco Conservatory of Music alumni