JessicaNiles

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  • Soprano

About Jessica

Acclaimed as a vocal emotional force, American soprano Jessica Niles finds a niche for her artistic personality in the creation of new opera productions. Her 2025-26 season brings house debuts at Oper Köln as Zabelle in the German premiere of George Benjamin’s Picture a Day Like This, Dutch National Opera as Iris in Claus Guth’s production of Handel’s Semele, and NederlandseReisoper in a new production of Gerald Barry’s monodrama The Stronger. Returning to the Bayerische Staatsoper, Jessica makes her role debut as Morgana in a new production of Handel’s Alcina.

In her 2024-25, season she performed the title role in a new production of Handel’s Partenope in her house debut at Oper Frankfurt, and returned to La Monnaie / De Munt to premiere I Grotteschi, a two-part drama distilling the three surviving operas of Monteverdi. Jessica made her debut at La Monnaie / De Munt in 2023 creating the role of Sandra under the direction of Marie-Eve Signeyrole in Bernard Foccroulle’s climate-crisis opera Cassandra. The success of the production brought Jessica to reprise Cassandra for her house debut at the Berlin Staatsoper in 2025, and a nomination for “Best World Premiere” at the International Opera Awards 2024.

Jessica made her Salzburger Festspiele debut as Alexandra in Krzysztof Warlikowski’s award-winning 2024 production of Weinberg’s The Idiot. At the Bayerische Staatsoper Jessica premiered Claus Guth’s 2023 production of Handel’s Semele as Iris where she “provided much of the show’s levity…through musical delivery and physical comedy” (New York Times), the award-winning 2023 production of War and Peace, Marie-Eve Signeyrole’s 2022 production of Haydn’s L’infedeltà delusa as Sandrina where she was hailed by multiple critics as the highlight of the evening, and a 2022 production of Georg Friedrich Haas’ overtone series opera Thomas. Jessica Niles holds three degrees from The Juilliard School and was a member of the Bayerische Staatsoper Opernstudio from 2021-23.

Jessica is based in Munich

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Contact

For availability and general enquiries:

Angelica Conner

Angelica Conner

Senior Artist Manager
Charlotte Bateman

Charlotte Bateman

Assistant Artist Manager

Representation

Worldwide general management with Askonas Holt

Follow Jessica

Season Highlights

Jun 2025 - Jul 2025
Staatsoper Berlin
Cassandra (Sandra) Conductor: Anja Bihlmaier Director: Marie-Eve Signeyrole
Sep 2025
Nederlandse Reisopera
The Stronger (Madame X) Conductor: Lochlan Brown Director : Belle van Heerikhuizen
Jan 2026
Dutch National Opera
Semele (Iris) Conductor: Emmanuelle Haïm Director: Claus Guth
May 2026
Oper Köln
Picture a day like this (Zabelle) Conductor: Christian Karlsen Director/designers: Daniel Jeanneteau / Marie-Christine Soma
Jul 2026
Bayerische Staatsoper
Alcina (Morgana) Conductor: Stefano Montanari Director: Johanna Wehner

Video

Photos

Selected Repertoire

Beethoven

Fidelio (Marzelline)

Bernard Foccroulle

Cassandra (Sandra)

Britten

The Burning Fiery Furnace (The Angel)

Donizetti

L’elisir d’amore (Adina & Giannetta)

Haas

Thomas (Schwester Jasmin)

Handel

Rinaldo (Armida)   •   Semele (Iris)   •   Partenope (Title Role)

Haydn

L’infedeltà delusa (Sandrina)

Humperdinck

Hansel und Gretel (Taumännchen)

Mozart

Don Giovanni (Zerlina)   •   Le nozze di Figaro (Susanna)

Nicolai

Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Anne Reich)

Offenbach

Orpheus in the Underworld (Eurydice)

Puccini

La bohème (Musetta)

Purcell

Dido and Aeneas (Belinda)

Rameau

Hippolyte et Aricie (Une Matelote)

Rossini

La Cenerentola (Clorinda)

Strauss

Ariadne auf Naxos (Echo)

Verdi

Don Carlo (Una voce dal cielo)

News

Press

  • Foccroulle's Cassandra (Sandra)

    Bayerische Staatsoper
    Jun 2025

    • Jessica Niles used a highly present, bright soprano for the contemporary Sandra... devoted in her playing and vocally highly present with often luminous tones.

    • Soprano Jessica Niles embodies climate activist Sandra with a lyrical foundation yet assertiveness.

    • Not to mention the seemingly effortless, flawless soprano of Jessica Niles, who [sings] breakneck intervals and full top notes as if it were nothing.

    • Jessica Niles sings Sandra with impressive confidence...

  • I Grotteschi (Impazienza)

    La Monnaie de Munt
    Apr 2025

    • Soprano Jessica Niles plays the youngest of the servants, Impazienza. Driven by a tenacious jealousy of her sister Fortuna, she seeks to assert herself by disrupting the emotional order and playing with her charms. Her ultra-fine, clear, and vibrant voice evokes a charming birdcatcher, operating to the point of excess and betrayal.

  • Partenope (Title Role)

    Frankfurt
    Nov 2024

    • Jessica Niles keeps the ball melancholically low as the title heroine, Partenope never loses sight of the state's interests. Niles' golden, rich soprano can erupt and cascade, but mostly she is the calm pole around which the suitors lurk. The dark timbre of her voice is all the more striking because she is the only soprano far and wide.

    • First of all, there is Jessica Niles in the title role. In the foreword to the in-house opera magazine, artistic director Bernd Loebe describes the young singer as the "Brenda of the future". He is taking his cue from Brenda Rae, who launched an international career from the ensemble and can currently be seen again as Lulu in the main house. The parallel is intended to express that Jessica Niles also has a fresh, clear soprano voice with astonishing technique and, in particular, flawless coloratura fluency. But if one is to draw comparisons, then one must acknowledge that the young singer's tone is rounder, her timbre is warmer, and her middle to low range has more power and volume than is the case with Brenda Rae. There is no need to describe her as "someone of the future", because her voice, her creative ability and her stage presence show that she is the "Jessica Niles of the present", an artistic personality who, with engagements at the State Operas in Munich and Berlin, the Salzburg Festival and a busy concert schedule with renowned conductors, can no longer be described as an "insider tip". But since contracts in the opera business are signed well in advance, the Frankfurt Opera can be congratulated on having engaged this fabulous singer in time before the steep career that has already begun makes her fee unaffordable.

    • The American soprano Niles portrays the title character with nobility and vocal strength.

    • Jessica Niles as Partenope, who sings incredibly casually but with majestic lyricism, faces the warrior with ready grace...

    • Jessica Niles has the ideal voice [for the title character]; she performs coloratura arias in all their splendour and sings cadenzas magnificently.

  • Foccroulle's Cassandra (Sandra)

    La Monnaie / De Munt
    Sep 2023 - Sep 2023

    • Jessica Niles délivre une remarquable prestation en Sandra, figure touchante et courageuse à laquelle la soprano apporte conviction, fraîcheur et profondeur. Jessica Niles delivers a remarkable performance as Sandra, a touching and courageous figure to whom the soprano brings conviction, freshness and depth.

    • Jessica Niles est une Sandra convaincante dans son engagement et ses questionnements existentiels. La soprano américaine passe facilement du registre léger au dramatique, aux prises avec des lignes vocales exigeantes. En tant que comédienne de stand-up, elle est pleine de brio et engage le public alternant discours scientifique, humour et démonstrations pratiques. Jessica Niles is a convincing Sandra in her commitment and her existential questions. The American soprano moves easily from light to dramatic register, struggling with demanding vocal lines. As a stand-up comedian, she is full of brilliance and engages the audience by alternating scientific discourse, humour and practical demonstrations.

    • Jessica Niles’ energy and vocal punch bring the galvanising power that might just get this narrative moving.

    • Sandra, American soprano Jessica Niles, bubbled, shone, sang as if she was on a mission and delivered a hugely convincing performance.

  • Semele (Iris)

    Bayerische Staatsoper
    Jul 2023 - Jul 2023

    • Jessica Niles gives herself to Iris as a slapstick comedy master. Dramaturgically, her role is superfluous, but without her, the evening would only be half as fun.

    • A shining star, both vocally and in terms of acting. A clear, luminous soprano. And she's got the comedic chops…In 'Iris, impatient of thy stay' Jessica Niles and Juno aka Emily D'Angelo deliver one of the two loveliest and in this case wonderfully extended duets of the evening at the beginning of Act Two.

    • the sprightly soprano Jessica Niles as Iris…provided much of the show’s levity, through musical delivery and physical comedy.

  • Haydn’s L’infedeltà delusa (Sandrina)

    Bayerische Staatsoper
    Sep 2022 - Sep 2022

    • Their vocal power reserves are remarkable. Especially in the moments of full physical commitment. Passion flows from all vocal and acting pores. Soprano Jessica Niles sings Sandrina like an energetic volcano. Clear, transparent, spirited, yet accurate and controlled, for example, in challenging octave jumps…Personally, I am particularly subject to the vocal emotional force and the unconditional powerful play of Jessica Niles. Full commitment! In me you won a fan Ms. Niles.

      • Klassik begeistert

    • The central trio of women…are of very good quality: hats off to Jessica Niles in particular, whose rather dramatic air in the second act is perhaps the highlight of this evening.

      • ConcertoNet

    • The colorfulness and emotional expression of Jessica Niles’ soprano become the highlights of the evening in Sandrina's arias.

      • OperaOnline

    • Above all, Jessica Niles is to be named Sandrina as a marriage victim, a grandiose young voice with enormous potential.

      • KlassikInfo

Discography