Soprano Whitney Wells has been praised for her “electric, high-energy, [and] sassy portrayals” onstage. Most recently, Wells has been seen as Suor Dolcina in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, as well as Catherine in Offenbach’s Le marriage aux lanternes. She has enjoyed embracing a variety of roles in newer operatic works such as LuAnne in George Lam’s Heartbreak Express, the Wife in Russell Smith’s A Unicorn in the Garden, and June Jinkins in Dan Shore’s An Embarrassing Position. Previously, she has been seen as Giannetta in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Miss Pinkerton in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, Emily in Douglas Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe, and Tisbe in David Ward’s adaptation of Cinderella for opera outreach to children. Whitney has also enjoyed the roles of Paquette in Bernstein’s Candide, Amahl in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Lola in Moore’s Gallantry, and covering the role of Tytania in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

 

On the concert stage, Wells spans a range from new works to classical standards. In 2021 she was the soprano soloist for the world premiere of Dreams Unseen by Peter Meechan - a work for soprano and wind ensemble. The next year in 2022, she was invited back to record the same work with The University of Kansas Wind Ensemble for publication on NAXOS and all music streaming platforms. In 2023 she returned again to sing part of Dreams Unseen with The University of Kansas Wind Ensemble for the American Bandmasters Association Conference and the Kansas Music Educators Association. Wells was also the soprano soloist for the premiere of James Barnes’ Ninth Symphony. Wells has performed as the soprano soloist on works such as Mozart’s Gloria, Schubert’s Gloria, Charpantier’s Messe di Minuit pour Noël, and Christos Hatzis’ Arctic Dreams 1. 

 

Whitney competed in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont competition in 2022-2023. She has enjoyed contracts with companies such as Knoxville Opera, Marble City Opera, Amadeus Chamber Ensemble, Opera in the Ozarks, Lawrence Opera Theater, Operative Houston, and Musiktheater Bavaria. Wells received her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Tennessee in 2021, and her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Kansas in 2019.

"Electric, high-energy,

[and] sassy portrayals"

                                                             - ArtsKnoxville