About Rachel
Mezzo-soprano Rachel Abrams has been lauded as a standout for her vivid portrayals, rich vocal timbre, beautiful blend, and dynamic stage presence on operatic and concert stages throughout the United States and Europe. A native of Stockton, California, Rachel now calls Connecticut home, where she performs opera, oratorio, and concert works throughout New England.
During the 2024-2025 season, Rachel returns to Cappella Cantorum Masterwork Chorus and Orchestra to sing the alto solos in Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai, Mozart’s Requiem, Mozart’s Regina Coeli K. 276, and the alto solos in Messiah as a part of Cappella’s annual Messiah Sing or Listen. She’s also thrilled to return to PanOpera to perform the role of Nicklausse in Les contes d’Hoffmann, debuts with Teatro Lirico D’Europa in their touring production of Madama Butterfly, and return to Berkshire Opera Festival for their production of La Traviata. This season, Rachel also debuted with Orchestra New England and Alchemy Vocal Chamber Ensemble as a part of their annual Colonial Concert.
In recent seasons, she performed the roles of Dottoressa Grenville and The Commissioner in MASSOpera’s highly acclaimed interactive production of La Traviata, was the alto soloist in J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Cappella Cantorum’s Masterwork Chorus & Orchestra, the alto soloist in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Debussy’s Trois Chansons with Clark University’s Concert Choir and the PanOpera Orchestra, returned to Finger Lakes Opera as the Giant’s Wife in Jack in the Beanstalk at the Lyric Theater in Rochester, Connecticut Lyric Opera as Der Trommler in their touring production of Viktor Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis and to Greater Worcester Opera to sing the role of Mrs. Segstrom in A Little Night Music.
Her favorite roles include the title role in Dido and Aeneas, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Sesto in Giulio Cesare in Egitto, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Mércedès in Carmen, Third Lady in The Magic Flute, the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe, and Lepido in Handel’s rarely performed opera Silla. Ms. Abrams has also performed with Salt Marsh Opera, Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, NEMPAC Opera Project in Boston, VOX New England, Cambridge Chamber Ensemble, Opera Theater of Connecticut, Hartford Opera Theater, Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra, Opera Fort Collins, Loveland Opera Theatre, Southern Illinois Music Festival, Union Avenue Opera, Opera Classica Europa in Bad Schwalbach, Germany, and with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as a member of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus where she had the honor of singing under the baton of esteemed conductors David Robertson, Stéphane Denève, Robert Spano, and the late Claudio Abbado.
Rachel has been a featured young artist with opera companies throughout the United States including Finger Lakes Opera as a part of their Tomita Young Artist program, a vocal fellow with the National Music Festival, an apprentice artist with the Nahant Music Festival where she had the honor of performing Bach Cantatas with the Emmanuel Music Orchestra, a resident artist with Connecticut Lyric Opera, and a young artist with Winter Opera St. Louis.
Ms. Abrams has performed as the alto soloist in iconic oratorios, most notably Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Magnificat and Gloria, and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with the Stamford Chorale, Concert Choir of Northeastern Connecticut, Masterworks Chorale, Con Brio Choral Society, Cappella Cantorum Masterwork Chorus, Southeastern Missouri Chamber Ensemble and the East Central Concert Choir in Missouri. She has also performed the alto solos in Bach cantata BWV 213 (Hercules) with period instruments as part of Avon Congregational Church’s concert series.
A lover of art song and chamber music, Rachel enjoys performing works that further her connection to her Jewish heritage. In 2015, Rachel and pianist Michael Korman were invited to curate a recital featuring lesser-known works by German Jewish refugees. This lecture and concert was presented at the Maurice Greenberg Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Hartford and was performed to great acclaim. She enjoys performing works in Yiddish and was delighted to be a featured soloist in Martin Bresnick’s Yiddish puppet opera: Der Signál, accompanied by the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra.
“The acting by the ensemble equals their vocal acuity which is exceptional across the board. Serving as the vocally adept Greek Chorus are Joshua Dixon, Christine Petkus, Lindsey Soboleski, Rachel Abrams, and Steve Huff.”
— Kevin T. Baldwin, METRMag
(Mrs. Segstrom in A Little Night Music with Greater Worcester Opera at Stageloft Repertory Theater)
“Another experienced G&S player Rachel Abrams undertook the title role and did an especially beautiful rendition of the “My Lord, a Suppliant at Your Feet” solo in the second act.”
— John E. Dreslin, The Trumpet Bray, New England Gilbert and Sullivan Society
(Iolanthe in Iolante with Simsbury Light Opera Company)
“Rachel Abrams delivered a stunning and comical performance embodying the behavior of a heartbroken teenager with ‘Smanie implacabili’ from Mozart’s ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ and was lovely in ‘Il core vi dono’ with Flora. I loved listening to her harmonize with Watts, and she impressed me with her performance in Verdi’s quartet ‘Un di, se ben rammentomi’.”
— Margaret Bruetsch, Sullivan County Democrat
(Opera Concert at the Callicoon Hills Resort with Delaware Valley Opera)
“The supporting roles of Frasquita (Evangelia Leontis), Mércèdes (Rachel Abrams), El Dancairo (Ramsey Kurdi), Remendado (George Eisenhauer), Morales (Uriah Rodriguez) and Zuniga (Steven Fasano) were all strongly sung and vividly portrayed.”
— Clifton Nobel, Jr., The Republican, masslive.com
(Mércèdes in Carmen with PANOPERA)
“The voices of Megan Higgins, Sara Gottman, and Rachel Abrams (Smith) blended beautifully as Ariadne’s long-suffering nymphs.”
— Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX in St. Louis
(Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos with Winter Opera St. Louis)
