Lyric Soprano ESTHER RENEE RAYO is most known for her passion for Classical Spanish Repertoire, however, her performance experience spans across many genres, including those of Opera, Baroque, Oratorio, Sacred Music and Art Song. Based on merit, Ms. Rayo has been a recipient of awards and scholarships throughout her career including honors from the Jarvis Conservatory, Redwood Empire Chapter NATS Vocal Competition, San Francisco Bay Area Chapters NATS Vocal Competition, East Bay Opera League Vocal Competition, DePaul University Kleinman Vocal Competition, San Miguel Institute of Bel Canto Summer Program and Musica nelle Marche Opera Program in Italy. Her education includes a Bachelor of Arts with emphasis in Vocal Performance from Sonoma State University (2006) where she studied under David Burnakus and Ruth Ann Swenson, along with a Master of Music with emphasis in Vocal Performance from DePaul University in Chicago, IL (2017) where she debuted the title role of Puccini’s Suor Angelica, to critical acclaim. Ms. Rayo made her European debut in 2017, at Teatro della Fortuna in Fano, province of Pesaro and Urbino, region of Marche, Italy. There, she performed the first act and title role of Puccini’s Tosca, and the third act of Puccini’s La Bohème as Mimi. Ms. Rayo has been celebrated for her collaboration with LaMusArt, a non-profit organization that serves underprivileged Latino youth in East Los Angeles, and her Herbst Theater debut in San Francisco, CA, where she represented Lieder Alive! in InterMusic SF’s Music Day. Recent highlights include performing with Circa1600 and Sonoma Bach, as well as performing with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra as a featured soloist. In collaboration with librettist Angelo Cannavacciuolo, Ms. Rayo is preparing for an upcoming concert tour to Naples, Italy.