Praised for her “high, sweet coloratura” and “nuanced performance”, soprano Alison Scherzer’s portfolio spans opera, musical theater, concert, operetta, theater and film. She is an alumni of Barbara Hannigan’s Equilibrium Young Artist Program. A specialist in contemporary vocal music, Scherzer made her house debut at the Nederlandse Reisopera this season as Maid in Thomas Adès’s Powder Her Face. In collaboration with Eden River Records, she will be releasing two film recordings this year, of Kaija Saariaho’s From the Grammar of Dreams and of George Crumb’s Apparition.

Scherzer’s upcoming projects for season 2024/25 include the creation of the first recording of Gerald Barry’s one woman opera La Plus Forte as Madame X (in a co-production with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Nouvel Opéra Fribourg at the Alexandra Palace in London), about which a documentary film will be made, as well as concert performances and stagings of La Plus Forte in Switzerland. Additionally with Nouvel Opéra Fribourg, Scherzer will premiere two short opera commissions by British composers Richard Harvey and David Buckley. Other projects include a reprisal of the title role in Gerald Barry’s opera Alice’s Adventures Under Ground at the Grand Théâtre de Genève (production premiered at Theater Magdeburg), the title role in the world premiere of the opera Salome by Gerald Barry at Theater Magdeburg.

Previously, she reprised her role as Maid in Powder Her Face, in a co-production with Nouvel Opéra Fribourg and Athénée Théâtre Louis-Jouvet in Paris, where she previously sang Cecily Cardew in Gerald Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest. She has performed as a soloist at the Theater Görlitz-Zittau, where she sang Franziska Cagliari in Wiener Blut, Ulla in The Producers, Chava in Fiddler on the Roof and Stella/Ella in Frau Luna. Previous roles performed include Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Zerbinetta and Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos, Dalinda in Ariodante, Mrs. Nordstrom in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, Curley’s Wife in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men, Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, and Maria in The Sound of Music.

Scherzer’s concert and oratorio experience include the soprano solos in Fauré’s Requiem, Poulenc’s Gloria, Mondoville’s Dominus Regnavit, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Exultate Jubilate and Vesprae solennes de confessore, Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio, Offf’s Carmina Burana, Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem and Liebeslieder Walzer, Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium and Johannespassion and as Lieschen in Kaffee Kantate.

Scherzer studied at the prestigious University of Cincinnati – College Conservatory of Music (CCM) for her Master of Music degree, as well as an Artist Diploma directed towards incorporating different art forms and performance practices within contemporary art song recital.