American opera singer, Erica Thelen, is a young dramatic coloratura soprano. She currently studies voice with esteemed soprano, Rhoslyn Jones, while obtaining her Masters of Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She received her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Oberlin College and Conservatory studying with Marlene Rosen and Kendra Colton. Her engagements this past year have included the First Lady(Die Zauberflöte) with the Santa Rosa Symphony and covering of the title role in Suor Angelica at the Chautauqua Opera Conservatory. This spring, she will make her role debut as Ma Zegner in the San Francisco Conservatory Opera Theater’s production of Proving Up by Missy Mazzoli. Other recent performances include opera scenes performances at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as the title role in Alcina, Fiordiligi(Cosí fan tutte), and Sister Rose(The Dead Man Walking). 

During her time at Oberlin, she created the role of the Mermaid/Mother in the world premiere of The Wild Beast of the Bungalow by Rachel J. Peters (2019), made her role debut at Elisetta in Il Matrimonio Segreto(2022), and also performed in a variety of opera scenes in roles such as Roselina (Die Fledermaus) and Anne Trulove (The Rake’s Progress). Other role credits include Donna Elvira(Don Giovanni), and Musetta(La Bohème). She also has had the privilege to sing for esteemed professional musicians, such as Christine Goerke(Metropolitan Opera Soprano) and Howard Watkins(Metropolitan Opera Conductor). In 2017, Erica was an apprentice artist in the Minnesota Opera: Project Opera Program, where she performed in pre-concerts at the Minnesota Orchestra Hall, created the role of Natalie in the world premiere of The Memory Boy(Renaldo Moya), and played The Emperor in The Nightingale(Imant Ramisch). She is also known for her ability to cross genres, and has enjoyed singing roles in musical theater productions. She played Fraulein Schnieder(Cabaret), Gussie Carnegie(Merrily We Roll Along), Lily(The Secret Garden), and Ado Annie(Oklahoma!). 

Erica has a personal passion for integrating classical vocal repertoire into modern contexts that are relevant for today’s audiences. During her senior year at Oberlin, she created a voice recital entitled, Erica Carnea: An Epilogue, which combined spoken word and musical works to create vignettes about her life, women empowerment, processing trauma, and personal growth. She plans to continue to program relevant works that highlight minority composers and serve to tell the stories that are most relevant and compelling to the world today; She strongly feels that this is what will make the “museum piece” nature of classic opera have relevance in today’s social and political climate. 

Erica is a Minnesota native and grew up in a musical family. She has very fond memories of watching her parents on stage in community theater productions, as well as listening to her Mother teach voice lessons and sing in the Minnesota Opera Chorus. Erica’s greatest career goal is to inspire others with music like her parents inspired her.