THE BARBER OF SEVILLE CAST BIOS
Composer: Gioachino Rossini

KATHERINE PRACHT, mezzo soprano
During the 2007-2008 season American mezzo Katherine Pracht made her company debut with the Florentine Opera company in the role of Der Page der Herodias SALOME, following a successful title role debut of David Carlson's THE MIDNIGHT ANGEL with Milwaukee's Skylight Opera Theatre.  During the 2009-2010 season she returns to the Skylight to perform her first Rosina THE BARBER OF SEVILLE and reprises the role of Hansel HANSEL UND GRETEL with Opera on the James.  Ms. Pracht also returned to the Greenwich Music Festival this summer to perform Der Trommler DER KAISER VON ATLANTIS after performances of Melanto IL RITORNO D'ULISSE IN PATRIA last summer.
Other recent engagements include the role of Guenevere in Ash Lawn Opera Festival's production of CAMELOT, title role in Bizet's DJAMILEH with the Chicago Cultural Center, Jo March in Oberlin Opera Theatre's production of LITTLE WOMEN conducted by Christopher Larkin Constance in the Bard SummerScape Festival's production of Gilbert & Sullivan's THE SORCERER; of this performance David Shengold of Opera News commented that, "[she] sang with handsome tone," and Charles Kondek of The Independent wrote, "Hers is a warm sound, a rich healthy voice musically employed".  Recent appearances in New York include a workshop of THE GOLDEN TICKET with American Lyric Theatre and Beethoven Missa Solemnis with The Choral Society of Grace Church.
Ms. Pracht made her Chicago debut in a French double-bill; a Chicago Tribune reviewer described her performance of The Squirrel in Ravel's L'ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES as "delightful" and noted "[she was] a standout" in the title role of Satie's GENVIÈVE DE BRABANT.  She has since returned to Chicago to perform Béatrice BÉATRICE ET BÉNÉDICT and Stephano ROMÈO ET JULIETTE in the Chicago Cultural Center's "Shakespeare in Opera" concert, as well as the Dritte Dame DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE and the title role in DJAMILEH.  Ms. Pracht has also performed in concert with the Albany Symphony, The Artist Series of Sarasota, Nova Singers and the Lake Geneva Chapter of Lyric Opera Chicago.
An enthusiastic performer of modern music, Ms. Pracht has enjoyed several other opportunities to work closely with notable contemporary composers.   Ms. Pracht performed the role of Meg March LITTLE WOMEN for Mark Adamo's directorial debut at Lyric Opera Cleveland and was delighted to work with him a second time as Jo March in Skylight Opera Theatre's production of his opera.  While earning her master degree she worked with the late John Downey on several of his art songs, which resulted in a prestigious solo performance at The John Downey Festival in London. She has also worked closely with Hiram Titus while rehearsing the role of Amparo in his opera ROSINA, Libby Larsen on the role of Azul DREAMING BLUE and with John Corigliano on his art song Dodecaphonia, which was performed at a private event. 
Ms. Pracht's association with Skylight Opera Theatre began in 2001 with Titus's ROSINA, which led to her winning the Lee Dougherty Debut Artist Award and accepting a position in their apprentice program.  Since then, she has performed many roles at Skylight including Zerlina DON GIOVANNI, Stephano ROMÈO ET JULIETTE, Jo March LITTLE WOMEN and Hansel HANSEL AND GRETEL.
A native of Davenport, Iowa, Katherine Pracht now lives in Philadelphia.