Hailed by the New York Times as a soprano of “gleaming sound, free and easy high notes, agile coloratura runs and lyrical grace,” Jessica Pratt is considered one of today’s foremost interpreters of some of bel canto’s most challenging repertoire.
Since her European debut in 2007 as Lucia di Lammermoor Ms. Pratt’s schedule has included performances at opera theatres and festivals such as the Metropolitan Opera New York, Teatro alla Scala of Milan, Zurich Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Vienna State Opera and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, working with conductors such as Daniel Oren, Nello Santi, Kent Nagano, Sir Colin Davis, Christian Thielemann, Donato Renzetti, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Carlo Rizzi, Antonino Fogliani, Wayne Marshall and David Parry.
Jessica has a repertoire of over 30 different roles of which the most popular is Lucia Ashton from Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor which she has performed in over 27 productions followed by Amina from Vincenzo Bellini’s La Sonnambula and Elvira from I Puritani by the same composer. She also specializes in Rossini repertoire, being a frequent guest of the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Jessica has so far taken to the stage in 12 Rossinian roles including the title roles of Semiramide, Armida, Adelaide di Borgogna, most recently Desdemona in Otello at the Gran Teatre de Liceu Barcelona and Rosina in Barbiere di Siviglia in Arena di Verona.
Another composer with whom Jessica is particularity suited is Gaetano Donizetti. Jessica made her debut at La Scala with La Prima Donna in Convenienze ed Inconvenienze Teatrali and later returned to perform in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor. This last season she debuted in the title role of Rosmonda d’Ingliterra in concert form for Opera di Firenze and then staged and filmed for a DVD with the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo. In the coming season Jessica will add three new Donizetti titles to her repertoire. La Fille du Regiment, Don Pasquale and l’elisir d’amore.
Her discography includes CD recordings of Rossini’s “Otello”, Vaccai’s “La sposa di Messina” and DVD/Blu-Ray recordings of “Giovanna d’Arco” from the Festival Valle d’Itria, “Adelaide di Borgogna”, “Ciro in Babilonia” and “Aureliano in Palmira” from the Rossini Opera Festival, the 2012 “New Year’s Gala Concert” and Bellini’s “La sonnambula” from Teatro La Fenice in Venice and Donizetti’s “Le Convenienze ed Inconvenienze Teatrali” from Teatro alla Scala in Milan. In 2016 her first solo album “Serenade” was released by Opus Arte. Upcoming releases include a DVD of Ronconi’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” with Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, conducted by Roberto Abbado and a DVD of Donizetti’s “Rosmonda d’Inghilterra” with Festival Donizetti of Bergamo.