Photo: John Myers
Soprano Jessi Goebel has been praised for her “effortless” singing and “a certain vulnerability that is highly appealing.” (Kelly Dean Hansen, The Daily Camera)
Spring of 2023 marks a joyful return to the recital hall after taking time off to embark on a new adventure: motherhood.
In recent seasons, Jessi gave recitals in New York and Connecticut. She sang Despina with Amore Opera and the principal role of the Lark in a reading of Wang Jie’s opera Rated R for Rat, presented by American Opera Projects in partnership with Lauren Flanigan’s Music and Mentoring House. She frequently collaborated with pianist Mark Toxopeus in recital in The Netherlands, often organized by the Oosterbeek-Kabeljauw chapter of Rotary International in support of various charitable endeavors.
Jessi joined the ensemble of New York City Opera in their 2018 production of L'amore Dei Tre Re and in their 2016 double-bill of Aleko and Pagliacci; in 2016/17 she sang Adele (Die Fledermaus) and Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia) with Amore Opera, and Faustine (Die Fledermaus) with Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance program. In previous years she sang with Empire Opera, enCANTA Collective, and New York Opera Forum.
Jessi earned her Master’s Degree at the University of Colorado, Boulder, as a student of Julie Simson; highlights with CU Opera included Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Julie Jordan (Carousel), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), and as a soloist in a staged production of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS at the Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver. In 2012, she sang Aninku with the Colorado Music Festival in Hans Krása’s Brundibár, conducted by Michael Christie, and joined CU NOW for the world premiere of Act I of Lori Laitman’s Ludlow. She sang extensively with CU Opera’s outreach group, Opera Theatre Singers, and frequently appeared at The Academy in Boulder, both with OTS and as a solo recitalist.
Jessi earned her Bachelor's Degree from the Manhattan School of Music as a student of Ashley Putnam. While at MSM, she sang the role of Eurilla in the U.S. premier of Händel’s Il pastor fido, and was a soloist in Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, among other scenes programs and recitals.
Other notable performances include recitals in Oslo and Salzburg, master classes with Ken Merrill (NYC) and Wolfram Rieger (Salzburg), and as a soloist with composer and conductor Eric Whitacre in Beijing. Honors and awards include the Nancy and Ted Anderson Scholarship as well as the Anthony and Dorothy Riddle Lyric Theater Performance Prize at CU Boulder; the President’s Scholarship at Manhattan School of Music; and First Place in the University of Miami’s Summer in Salzburg competition.
Off-hours, Jessi is an avid gardener, amateur photographer and writer, and lover of game night. She lives in New York with her family and an abundance of plants.