Born: August 6, 1948 (Portsmouth, OH)

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Faith Esham, soprano, was a co-winner of the 1980 Naumburg Vocal Competition.

She was born in Portsmouth, Ohio and grew up in Vanceburg, Kentucky. She graduated in psychology from Columbia Union College in Maryland, and completed study for a master's degree in clinical psychology at Eastern Kentucky University before transferring to The Juilliard School where she received her master of music degree in 1978 studying with Beverly Peck Johnson.

Esham has been heard in many roles in opera houses in the United States and Europe. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Marzelline in Fidelio and covered the roles of Nedda in Pagliacci and Melisande in Pelleas et Melisande. She also sang at the Chicago Lyric Opera, and Washington, DC, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In addition, she sang numerous times at New York City Opera, joining NYCO in 1977. As Micaela, she sang opposite Placido Domingo and Julia Migenes in the 1984 film, Carmen, whose soundtrack wona 1985 Grammy award. Abroad she sang at La Scala, Vienna State Opera, Opera de Caracas, Paris' Theatre du Chatelet, Cologne Opera, New Israeli Opera, Geneva and Glyndebourne.

In 2000, she joined the faculty of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where she is an adjunct professor of voice.

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