Marnie Breckenridge is a soprano and actor based in San Francisco via New York via Napa Valley via Los Angeles where she was born. Her college career began in pre-medicine and ended up in music with a master’s degree from the SF Conservatory of Music. Together with her writer husband (wink), they’re raising two young children and a clever doggie – much harder jobs than singing opera.
But she does sing opera and classical music in leading houses and halls from London, Tokyo, Prague, Glyndebourne, Oslo, Kobe, Beijing and across the United States to now even Canada too! Her nuanced character portrayals have garnered her praise on more than one occasion of being “the Meryl Streep of Opera”. Her other work includes acting in TV commercials, coaching singers, recording contemporary & classical music, and quickly becoming known as a go-to performer of modern composers’ new works.
What ‘hood are you in?
As a visitor from San Francisco, it has been fun checking out different “hoods” in Toronto. Over the past two visits I’ve stayed in Airbnbs in Leslieville, Greenwell/Coxwell, and during performances I’ll be staying in Yorkville.
What do you do?
I sing music in styles ranging from the Baroque to bel canto to classical to modern opera. I also love to coach and teach vocal technique to singers. On occasion, I act in TV commercials and voice-overs. My main focus in music is singing new works by modern and living composers. Getting to help create a role like Jacqueline in this ‘one woman show’ (also could be called a duo-drama as cellist, Matt Haimovitz is acting as Jacqueline’s inner psyche) from the ground up is a dream come true. It is a joy working with genius composer, Luna Pearl Woolf and the phenomenal librettist, Royce Vavrek. The whole team at Tapestry Opera led by stupendous director, Michael Mori has been beyond wonderful to work with.
What are you currently working on?
“Jacqueline” – an opera about the life, stardom and death of world-renowned cellist, Jacqueline du Pré with Tapestry Opera. February 19-23, 2020.
Where can we find your work?
Several recordings by modern composers: David Conte (Sexton Songs), Robert Paterson (Summer Songs), Victor Herbert Album, Dimitri Hvorostovsky’s “Heroes and Villians”, my YouTube channel and I try to keep my website updated: www.marniebreckenridge.com.
