Artist Spotlight: Melissa Citro
SOMA Celebrates Women and Female Artists for Women’s History Month
Melissa Citro — Opera Singer. Dramatic Soprano. Spinto. Actor. Performer.
Melissa Citro, Soprano (Marina), and Clay Hillely, Tenor (Dimitrij)
Marina in Dvorak’s “Dmitrij” with Bard Summerscape
Photo by Todd Norwood
World-renowned dramatic soprano/spinto soprano and Maplewood resident Melissa Citro has been singing professionally and internationally for 20 years. Most of her early work was in German and Czech opera, more recently Melissa has been trying her hand at Puccini. Tosca in Tosca and Minnie in La Fanciulla del West are her new favorite roles.
A native of Quincy Illinois, when Melissa was 12 years old her teacher Mary Anne Scott, who was a soprano, introduced her to Opera and encouraged her to sing, and that she did. Melissa studied at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey; The Juilliard School in New York City; The Merola Program at San Francisco Opera; Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara; and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ Young Artist Program. To this day, her teacher, Mary remains supportive and attends Melissa’s performances all over the country.
“So proud of Melissa Citro, and grateful that fate brought us together in Quincy, Illinois, where she began her growth into the consummate artist she is today. And she likes to give me some credit for getting her started, which makes me very proud. I am hoping to see her in Denver this fall, as she reprises her role of ‘Tosca,’, which is perfect for her.” — Mary Anne Scott, Teacher/Mentor
Master class with Luciano Pavarotti at Juilliard. Pavarotti back center, Melissa Citro front with blue shirt and blonde hair
Melissa Citro with Renée Rapier
Post-Performance Party for the RING Cycle in San Francisco
Drew Altizer Photography
“Glamorous spinto soprano Melissa Citro showed tremendous, insightfully modulated dramatic presence as Marina...Citro’s commanding showing won several ovations.” — Opera News
Clover and Clementine
Baby Chic Day Care
While a new mom living in Brooklyn, Melissa first discovered Maplewood in a ‘UrbanBaby,’ an online parenting forum for lively, uninhibited discussions and answers. A few days later Melissa heard singer Christine Ebersole talk about Maplewood on The View … her fate was sealed. She relocated to Maplewood where she has made a home with her son Henry and their pets for 11 years.
On Maplewood, “I was immediately taken with the aesthetic charm and progressive spirit here, and have since met many great people and made some wonderful friends.” — Melissa Citro
During the pandemic Melissa has been extreme parenting, accumulating pets, and practicing with the hope of returning to live performances. She likes to sing daily, “I do try to sing every day, even if just for a few minutes. It’s great therapy. I like to open the score of a piece I haven’t sung in a while to a random spot and play around with it. The sense memory of music-making is grounding.”
Both mom and son are animal lovers and have two cavapoos, Clover and Clementine and two cats, Zoya and Marjorie who have been excellent company during lock down. They hope to have chickens soon but for now they live vicariously through their friends and neighbors who have chickens.
“I’m a big proponent of backyard chickens. It’s such a rewarding hobby and so great for kids. Until I can have my own I will rely on my friends’ chickens for my fix.” – Melissa Citro
If you spend more than five minutes with Melissa, she will start proselytizing about the genius of Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, and the great session musicians of the 70s. She’s also a big jazz fan. She heads to the shore or the mountains whenever possible. She follows politics too closely, and tries to remember to read good fiction instead, and has become an accidental amateur chicken veterinarian.
Melissa Citro, hailed by Opera News for her “radiant,” “rich,” “soaring,” and “glamorous spinto” soprano, and “fully-nuanced,” “ravishingly sung” portrayals, made her San Francisco Opera debut in the Company’s 2011 Ring as Freia in Das Rheingold, Ortlinde in Die Walküre, and Gutrune in Götterdämmerung.
In recent seasons, she debuted in the title role of Tosca with Opera Southwest, as Minnie in La Fanciulla del West with both Opera Colorado and Michigan Opera Theater, and as Marina in Dvorak’s rarely heard Dimitrij with Bard Summerscape.
“Soprano Melissa Citro is as utterly natural for the role as one could hope. Minnie must carry the entire drama on her shoulders in all three acts while negotiating some of Puccini’s most demanding vocal requirements. Citro did all of this while exuding grace and nobility.” — Boulder Daily Camera
Elizabeth Bishop (left) playing Fricka, Melissa Citro playing Freia, Gerd Grochowski playing Donner, and Brandon Jovanovich (right) playing Froh during the final dress rehearsal of "The Ring of the Nibelung" at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, May 13, 2011.
Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle, Courtesy of SFGATE
Melissa Citro as Minnie in “La Fanciulla del West” with Opera Colorado
Other highlights include her Kennedy Center debut with Washington National Opera debut as Gutrune in Götterdämmerung, her return to New Orleans Opera as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, and her debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Second Symphony under the baton of Leonard Slatkin. Melissa won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the George London Award.
“Melissa Citro was the radiant Rosalinde, with the soaring top range required for an opulent czardas. As an actress, Citro conveyed both the comic and the noble in a multifaceted characterization.” — Opera News
Past engagements include the title role of Rusalka with New Orleans Opera, the title role of La Wally in her debut with the Dallas Opera, Senta in Der Fliegende Hollander with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Sieglinde in Die Walküre with Virginia Opera, Magda Sorel in The Consul with the Glimmerglass Festival, Ortlinde and Third Norn in the Ring with Los Angeles Opera, and the title role of Jenufa with Staatsoper Stuttgart.
(Act I aria, ‘Song to the Moon’)“In her company debut, Melissa Citro gave unstintingly of a bright and beautiful voice, singing with the utmost security and power. Her portrayal of the unhappy heroine was fully nuanced, demonstrating a complete understanding of this complex character. The song to the moon was ravishingly sung.” — Opera News
Melissa Citro as title role of Rusalka with New Orleans Opera
Melissa Citro as Rosalinde in “Die Fledermaus” with New Orleans Opera
“Melissa Citro was the radiant Rosalinde, with the soaring top range required for an opulent czardas. As an actress, Citro conveyed both the comic and the noble in a multifaceted characterization.” — Opera News
Melissa Citro and Fiece Female Cast in Die Walküre. San Franciso Opera
Melissa Citro and Female Cast in Die Walküre, Metropolitan Opera House, New York
Melissa had a surprise visit from the Honorable RBG at the Kennedy Center in DC after a RING Cycle. She had met Ruth Bader Ginsburg a couple times before, as she was a huge opera fan and attended many performances. In this particular instance it was Melissa’s son Henry’s first time. Henry was decked out in a cheeseburger deluxe hat, bow tie and a t-shirt with a photo of a pug that read, “Exercise? I thought you said extra fries.” Ruth was great with Henry and the experience was life-altering for him. He still talks about it to this day.
The opera industry has been mostly shuttered for the last year. Due to Covid-19 closings, previously recorded Opera’s have been streaming and viewable through subscriptions. San Francisco Opera has subscriptions and free streaming available and recently streamed Götterdämmerung. Opera Colorado Archives has been sharing some of the best performances from the last three decades including Melissa Citro as Minnie in La fanciulla del West (2016) which was directed by fellow Maplewoodian Emma Griffen. Melissa says, “these types of events have the potential to turn Marvel-obsessed kids to Wagner-obsessed kids, but no promises.” Melissa’s next scheduled performance is the title role in Tosca with Opera Colorado in November 2021, assuming things open up again.
Melissa hopes to see positive change post pandemic, “I’ve spent a lot of time in conversation with colleagues. Opera was at an inflection point even before the pandemic, but in this forced stillness, people in the industry are having long overdue discussions about social justice, equity, and power dynamics. I am hopeful that as live performance returns, the fruits of these discussions are evident both on stage and behind the scenes. A “return to normal” would be regressive and a tragic missed opportunity.”
Opera Colorado Archives: Melissa Citro as Minnie in LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST (2016)
Directed by Emma Griffin, Fellow Maplewood Resident
Melissa Citro as Gutrune in Wagner’s RING Cycle, San Francisco Opera
Photo by Cory Weaver
Sing For Hope Pianos
Melissa Citro with Son Henry and the Honorable Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg
after a performance of Götterdämmerung at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC
Portion of Promotional Piece for Ted Cole Clarinet Project, A Music Fund of the Achieve Foundation
Achieve Foundation Logo
Shortly before the pandemic derailed us, Melissa participated in concert to raise money for the Ted Cole Clarinet Project, A Music Fund of the Achieve Foundation. Other performers include Richard Alston of East Orange, and Maplewood Residents Stephane Wrembel and Phil Cokorinos. Melissa and Phil first met in Kansas City for The Flying Dutchman and discovered that they lived a few blocks from eachother in Maplewood. Melissa realized recently that she hasn’t done enough local performing, and would love to do more, “It’s nice to make music without having to fly for six hours first.”
Sing for Hope Logo
Melissa is currently working on a fund and awareness raiser with Sing for Hope Pianos for New Jersey. The Sing for Hope Pianos places artist-designed pianos in NYC’s parks and public spaces for anyone and everyone to play. Each summer, the pianos bring individuals and communities together in an open festival of art for all. After their time on the streets, Sing for Hope transports the instruments to NYC public schools, where they become hubs for Sing for Hope’s ongoing creative programs and enrich students’ lives for years to come. The official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Sing for Hope champions art for all because they believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal.
Melissa Citro Fun in the Sun Shot
“I try to sing every day, even if just for a few minutes. It’s great therapy” — Melissa Citro
Melissa Citro Head Shot
Story by Lisa Mainardi, Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture
https://piperartists.com/portfolio/melissa-citro/
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Instagram: @melissacitro
Melissa Citro is a member of SOMA Arts Registry, a free online hub serving Maplewood, South Orange and neighboring towns. It focuses on artists, arts professionals and arts organizations, with the goal to extend their local, regional and national market reach. SOMA Arts Registry was created by the Township of Maplewood and Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture to support the local arts community.
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