Irene Roberts (mezzo-soprano)

Irene Roberts was born and raised in Sacramento, California and attended the Sacramento Waldorf School before earning her undergraduate degree from the University of the Pacific[1] and her master's degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music.[2] She won 2nd prize in the Advanced Division at the 41st Annual Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition[3] and was a finalist for the 2014 Richard Tucker Career Grant.[4]

Irene Roberts made her Metropolitan Opera debut in The Marriage of Figaro in 2012,[5] and in 2013 debuted at San Francisco Opera in Les Contes d'Hoffmann.[6]

Since 2015 she has been a member of the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin[7] where she has performed roles including The Muse/Nicklausse in Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann,[8] the title role of Bizet's Carmen, Hansel in Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel, and Urbain in Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots.[9]

In 2016 she created the role of Bao Chai in the world premiere of Bright Sheng's Dream of the Red Chamber at San Francisco Opera.[10] She also made her London recital debut at Wigmore Hall with tenor Bryan Hymel.[11]

Roberts made her debut in Amsterdam as The Muse in a new production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann in 2018.[12] In 2019 she made her house debut at La Fenice in Venice with her first performances of Amneris in Verdi's Aida.[13]

Irene Roberts lives in Berlin with her husband and two children.[14]