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RAPHAELA MEDINA

Mezzo-soprano

Lauded for her ability to “exquisitely set the scene” (Orlando Sentinel), Chilean-American mezzo-soprano Raphaella Medina is known for her honest, engaging performances and versatile voice.

This season, Raphaella makes her Winter Opera St. Louis debut as Zerlina in Don Giovanni. She will also cover the role of the Collector in On Site Opera’s premiere of Song of the Nightingale.

Most recently, Raphaella made role debuts as La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi and Clarina in Rossini’s The Marriage Contract with Opera Orlando as a member of their Studio Artist program. In the same season, Raphaella also made multiple debut appearances across Central Florida: as a soloist with the Villages Philharmonic Orchestra, performing “La vie en rose” in Orlando Ballet’s production of Moulin Rouge, and as a soloist in the world premiere of orchestrated selections from Alex Burtzos’ HE Who Gets Slapped with the UCF Symphony under the baton of Eric Jacobsen.

A versatile performer, Raphaella feels at home across a wide range of repertoire, demonstrated neatly in the 2021-2022 season: Raphaella made her role and house debuts as Diana in the mariachi opera Cruzar la Cara de la Luna with Opera Santa Barbara; covered the role of Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd and sang the role of Elder 2 in Lembit Beecher’s Sky on Swings as part of Opera Saratoga’s summer festival; and stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Rosina in the final dress rehearsal of Il barbiere di Siviglia with Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera.

On the competition circuit, Raphaella recently placed third in the Opera Tampa D’Angelo Competition. In past seasons, she was named a Bonnie Bell Encouragement Award winner in the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition, as well as a winner of the San Francisco District and an encouragement award winner in the Western Region Finals of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

In addition to her work on the opera stage, Raphaella has been featured as a soloist in concert and recital repertoire with Florentine Opera, New Albany Symphony Orchestra, Paradise Symphony, and the Leipzig Hochschule für Musik und Theater. Raphaella also participated in both Joyce DiDonato’s and Marilyn Horne’s Carnegie Hall masterclass series.

Raphaella is graduate of the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston and the College of Music at Florida State University.

Raphaella is managed by Encompass Arts, LLC.

RAPHAELA MEDINA
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