About
Praised for her “perfectly spun, silvery soprano” and “brilliant, crystalline top,” Mexican-American soprano Elena Galván has gained recognition as a soprano with “deft timing and repartee of a natural comedienne.” In 2022, Elena will be returning to Livermore Valley Opera to make her role debut of Adina in L’elisir d’amore. She recently made her debut at Hawaii Opera Theatre as Susanna in Le Nozze I’d Figaro, a role she also performed at Florida Grand Opera to critical acclaim. On the concert stage, Elena recently joined the Villages Philharmonic and Miami Orchestra, and joined a recording project of the music of Peter Gast, produced by Robert Dundas, and Hispanic-American Lyric Theatre. During the pandemic, Elena was featured in a filmed version of Gianni Schicchi as Lauretta with Opera Ithaca, performed in virtual concerts for Livermore Valley Opera, Returned to First Coast Opera to perform the title role in a workshop of Penelope Ann’s Revenge by Curt Tucker, and joined Fort Worth Opera to workshop the title role of Poppea by James Lowe.
Elena’s 2019/20 season also brought four role debuts in her return to Opera San Jose; Adele in Die Fledermaus, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Papagena and Pamina (cover with orchestral performance) in Die Zauberflöte. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the OSJ production of Die Zauberflöte was postponed. Elena debuted with the Oakland Symphony in 2020 to perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. She made her role debut of Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Livermore Valley Opera, joined First Coast Opera for a Bernstein Celebration concert and performed Händel’s Messiah with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, the Arts at Grace Series, and the Binghamton Downtown Singers.
In 2017/18, Elena made a notable role and house debut as Lisette in La rondine with Opera San Jose. She also joined Out of the Box Opera in Minneapolis to sing in their “Diva Cage Match” concert and First Coast Opera to perform Kay in The Stranger’s Tale by Curtis Tucker. The 2016/17 season found Elena returning as a Young Artist to Florida Grand Opera, where she performed the roles of Frasquita in Carmen and Oscar in Un ballo in maschera to critical acclaim. Elena also made her debut with the Nu Deco Ensemble singing the world premiere of the orchestrated version of Jorge Martín’s A Cuban in Vermont. She returned to her hometown to perform Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Opera Ithaca. Elena was also an Apprentice Artist at Des Moines Metro Opera, where she covered the role of Amour in Orphée et Eurydice. During her first year at Florida Grand Opera, she performed the roles of Norina in Don Pasquale and Yvette in The Passenger. Also in 2015, she joined Kentucky Opera as a Studio Artist to perform Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro.
Photo by Devon Cass
Previous engagements include Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance and Phyllis in Iolanthe with Lamplighters Music Theatre; Countess Ceprano and cover of Gilda in Rigoletto and Frasquita in Carmen with Livermore Valley Opera; Musetta in La bohème and Rosina in The Barber of Seville as a Teaching Artist for San Francisco Opera’s Opera Guild; and Norina in Don Pasquale in a family performance at Opera Santa Barbara. Other roles include Dalinda (Ariodante), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Nannetta (Falstaff), Lucy (The Telephone), Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica), Le Feu (L’enfant et les sortilèges), Clarice (Il mondo della luna), and The Fox in the collegiate premiere of The Little Prince. Elena has also been a member of notable Young Artist programs at companies such as Virginia Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, and Opera Saratoga.
On the concert stage, Elena performed with the San Antonio Chamber Orchestra on their “Centennial Benjamin” program and Handel's Messiah with the Napa Valley Chorale and Symphony. She was the soprano soloist for Handel’s Messiah with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and was a soloist on a concert series hosted by Opera Krakowska in Poland.
Elena was awarded Second Place in the Lois Alba Aria Competition in Houston, TX, in 2014. She won an Encouragement Award in both the Los Angeles and San Francisco Districts of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2013 and 2011, respectively. Other awards include the Nate and Nora Schoenfeld Award in Palo Alto, CA, and the Bea and Irving Solomon Award and the Ernst Bacon Prize in Syracuse, NY. She holds degrees from Ithaca College and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Updated June 2022
