Grammy Award-nominated soprano Chelsea Basler continues to make her mark in an array of operatic roles, and is praised for her "luminous voice" with its "easy soaring range” and "wonderful acting.” This season she will sing the role of Musetta in La bohème with Charleston Opera Theater, and also is slated to sing High Priestess in Aida and cover Julie Jordan in Carousel with Boston Lyric Opera.  She most recently was a featured soloist in a concert with The Providence Singers, and covered the title role in Aucoin’s Eurydice with Boston Lyric Opera. During the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Basler made her role debut as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Newport Classical. 

 

Ms. Basler enjoys a strong relationship with Boston Lyric Opera, which she initially joined as an emerging artist during the 2013–2014 season. Recent roles include High Priestess in Aida, Musetta in La bohème, Lola in Cavalleria rusticana, Moira in the East Coast premiere production of Poul Ruder’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Mary Johnson in Fellow Travelers, Lucy in The Threepenny Opera, a critically acclaimed role debut as Micaëla in Boston Lyric Opera's mounting of the Calixto Bieito production of Carmen, as well as Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Glasha in Katya Kabanova, Margret in Lizzie Borden (reprised at the Tanglewood Festival), and Isolt the Fair in Frank Martin's The Love Potion, hailed as "lovely, passionate, and clear" by Opera News.

 

Ms. Basler joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in 2019 as the cover for Poussette in Manon. In that year, she also made a company debut with Boston Midsummer Opera as Clorinda in La cenerentola, made her Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra debut as the High Priestess in Aida, and sang Angela in Kurt Weill’s Firebrand of Florence at both the Jordan Hall in Boston and Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood. Pandemic cancellations included covering Micaëla in Carmen and Musetta in La bohème with the Metropolitan Opera, singing Julia Lowell in Borzoni’s The Copper Queen with Arizona Opera, singing Angela in Weill’s Firebrand of Florence with Emmanuel Music, singing as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Cape Symphony, and a debut as Penelope in Benjamin Britten’s Gloriana with Odyssey Opera. In the summer of 2020, she was part of Boston Lyric Opera’s virtual performance of The Fall of the House of Usher, in the role of Madeline.

                   

Particularly noted for her interpretation of the title role of Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, Ms. Basler has benefited from the mentorship of the role's creator, the late Phyllis Curtin, and the coaching and endorsement of Floyd himself. She made her Nashville Opera debut in the role during the spring of 2018 and her Pasadena Opera debut in 2016. Additional engagements include performing Susanna in Opera Saratoga's Le nozze di Figaro and covering Liù in Virginia Opera'sTurandot.

 

Ms. Basler's concert and recital credits include Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Omaha Symphony, Strauss Lieder and Berg’s Lulu Suite with Boston's Mercury Orchestra, J. S. Bach’s Cantata 51 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with Glen Falls Symphony, and Mozart’s Requiem with the Cape Symphony. She has performed recitals for the Newport Music Festival and has appeared in concert with the Cape Symphony in collaboration with Boston Lyric Opera, as well as a concert with Arizona Opera. Ms. Basler sings frequently with the Providence Singers, first for The Wound in the Water by Kim Andre Arnesen and then for Brahm’s Requiem. Her concert repertoire has included Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Vaughan Williams' Dona nobis pacem, Puccini's Messa di Gloria, Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate, and Handel's Messiah.

 

During her young artist residency with Santa Fe Opera, she covered Arminda in Mozart's La finta giardiniera and created the role of Sara in the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon's Cold Mountain, which can be heard on the Grammy-nominated live recording of the opera released by Pentatone. Other young artist tenures include Opera Saratoga, Sarasota Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera.

 

Ms. Basler's talents have been recognized throughout the vocal competition circuit. She was awarded second place for the 2017–2018 American Prize in Vocal Performance (Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award), first place in the National Opera Association's Carolyn Bailey and Dominick Argento Vocal Competition, and fourth place and the Lorena Beasley Mangin Memorial Award in the Mary Jacobs Smith Singer of the Year Vocal Competition. Ms. Basler also earned the Flournoy Award from the Mary Jacobs Vocal Competition, Boston University's Kahn Award, first place in the Peter Elvins Vocal Competition, and a grant from the Shoshana Foundation. Ms. Basler earned her Artist Certificate (Opera Institute) and Master of Music from Boston University, and her Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory.