Theresa Santiago, soprano, has attracted international attention for her highly individual style and beautiful, seamlessly integrated lyric soprano voice. Iissued on the Musical Heritage label is her first solo CD featuring works by Spanish composers. She has sung recitals at London’s Wigmore Hall, New York’s Alice Tully Hall and Frick Collection, Washington, D.C’s Kennedy Center, Boston’s Gardner Museum and on the distinguished Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Detroit Pro Musica series.

Opera remains a special love, and she has enjoyed particular success as Mimí¬ in Puccini’s La bohème, a role for which she was engaged by the New York City, San Francisco and Piedmont Operas, Opera Omaha and the New Jersey Symphony. Other Puccini roles include Lií¹ in Turandot with Opera Colorado and the Virginia Opera, Magda in La rondine at the Washington Opera, and the title role of Suor Angelica at the Longview Opera. She has also sung Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as at Michigan Opera Theatre and the Washington and Toledo Operas. She has also appeared at Opera Theater of St. Louis and the Connecticut Grand Opera.

An equally accomplished concert singer, Ms. Santiago has been guest soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic (Schubert’s Salve Regina), New York Philharmonic (Mendelssohn’s Elijah), Colorado Symphony (Berlioz’ Les nuits d’été and Poulenc’s Gloria), Seattle Symphony (Mendelssohn’s “Lobgesang” Symphony), American Symphony (Rachmaninoff’s The Bells), Cincinnati Symphony (Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Mahler’s Fourth Symphony and a program of Verdi Arias), Louisville Orchestra (Elijah), Phoenix Symphony (Brahms Requiem), Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (Bach’s B Minor Mass) and Puerto Rico Symphony (Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Bach’s Magnificat).

Awards include placing first in the 1994 Naumburg Vocal Competition and prizes in the D'Angelo and Puccini Foundation Competitions.  Ms. Santiago holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Juilliard School.

Excerpt, The New York Times review, April 3, 1995

In Performance; Classical Music

A Prize Winner Explores Some Art-Song Rarities Theresa Santiago, Soprano Alice Tully Hall

"Theresa Santiago, the soprano who won first prize in last year's Naumburg Vocal Competition, offered a tour of some odd corners of the art-song repertory on Wednesday evening. Along the way she presented herself as a sensitive, expressive interpreter with an impeccable technique. She has a light sound and a generally bright timbre, and she uses vibrato judiciously, varying its speed and width to suit the music.

Ms. Santiago moved easily between styles and languages and seemed as comfortable in the Baroque detail of her opening Purcell selection, "The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation," as in the urbane settings of Duparc and Rachmaninoff's melancholy ruminations.

She was at her best, and most lively, in a group of exquisite songs by Fernando Obradors; in fact, nothing on her program matched her meltingly beautiful performance of his "Del cabello mas sutil."

Dorian Keilhack's accompaniments, particularly in the Duparc group and in a set of impressionistic songs by Griffes, were as eloquent as they were supportive."

Allan Kozinn‍