Shannon Prickett
Hailed as a soprano with “a vocalism that is rich and unforced, equally capable of a sudden drop to a sustained whisper or being ratcheted up to a thrilling forte without a hint of strain” by Greg Hettmansberger of Madison Magazine, Shannon Prickett is becoming a well-known performer in the Madison, Wisconsin area. She recently completed her Master of Music degree in opera, studying with Julia Faulkner and Bill Farlow. This past year at UW-Madison, Shannon performed the title role in Cherubini’s Médée and Suzel in Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz. During the summer of 2012, Shannon performed the title role of Suor Angelica with the Opera Siena program in Italy.
In the spring of 2012, she won first place at the Iowa District Metropolitan National Council Opera Auditions, advancing to the regional competition in Saint Paul, MN, in which she received third place. This past year, at the University of Wisconsin, Shannon was the soprano soloist in the UW Production of Verdi’s Requiem as well as Mimì in La bohème and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. In 2010 at age 22, she made her debut at Des Moines Metro Opera singing the role of Lady-in-waiting in Verdi’s Macbeth onstage with soprano Brenda Harris and baritone Todd Thomas. In her last year of her undergraduate degree in 2009, Shannon received the Kawaler Encouragement Award from the Iowa District Metropolitan National Opera Auditions in Ames, Iowa. She participated in the Des Moines Metro Opera Young Artist Program for three consecutive years, where she sang scenes from La Gioconda, Un ballo in maschera, Faust, La traviata and Don Giovanni.
At Simpson College, where Shannon received her undergraduate degree in vocal performance, she studied with Kimberly Roberts under the direction of the esteemed Dr. Robert L. Larsen. At Simpson College, Shannon sang the roles of Nedda in Pagliacci, Alice Ford in Falstaff, and the Foreign Woman in The Consul.
For Minnesota Opera’s 2013–2014 season, she appeared as the Fortuneteller in Arabella, the Lady-in-waiting in Macbeth and the Woman in Red in The Dream of Valentino. During the 2014–2015 season she returned as the Sandman in Hansel and Gretel, Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore, Dora in The Manchurian Candidate and Micaëla in Carmen. This season she appears as the Second Lady in The Magic Flute, the Foreign Princess in Rusalka and Mrs. Massey in The Shining.
