April Amante – Soprano
Born and raised in Southern California, April Amante is a versatile soprano with expertise and facility in repertoire spanning from early music to contemporary musical theater.
April made her LA Opera debut as the Solo Soprano Voice and Chorus Soloist in the world premiere of Matthew Aucoins Eurydice in January 2020. She was the Soprano Soloist for Handels Messiah with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2019, and for the Messiah Sing Along the previous year, both performed in Walt Disney Concert Hall. April played the role of Mrs. Sinclair in the world premiere of Eric Whitacres mini-opera The Gift of the Magi at Walt Disney Concert Hall at the 2019 Los Angeles Master Chorales Festival of Carols concert. Most recently she sang the role of Donna Anna in UC Santa Barbaras virtual production of Don Giovanni in 2021 and will be singing First Lady in their English version of Mozarts The Magic Flute in February 2022. She has performed and covered mainstage roles with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Opera San Luis Obispo, Pacific Opera Project, and the Los Angeles Opera Outreach Program. Favorite roles performed include Laurey (Oklahoma), Johanna (Sweeney Todd), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Frasquita (Carmen), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), and Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica). She has been a featured soloist with the Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra in concert at the Vina Robles Amphitheater and Opera San Luis Obispos Broadway by the Sea. She has been on the roster of the Los Angeles Master Chorale since 2017.
In addition to her performance credits, April is currently a Semifinalist in the Music International Grand Prix Competition. She was also a semi-finalist in the Camerata Bardi International Vocal Competition, the Loren L. Zachary Opera Competition, the Lyra New York Mozart Vocal Competition 2018 (Opera Category), the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition 2018, and in the 29th International Nuits Lyriques de Marmande Competition 2017 in Marmande, France. She was the winner of the 42nd Annual American Educators of Italian Origin United (AEIOU) Opera Competition in 2012, a finalist in the 36th Annual Carmel Music Society Vocal Competition, and a national finalist in the NATS National Musical Theater Competition in 2014. April received a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) magna cum laude in Vocal Performance from California State University-Northridge and a Master of Music (M.M.) from the University of Arizona. She currently studies with Isabel Bayrakdarian while obtaining her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Website: https://www.aprilamante.com/
Tracy Van Fleet is pleased to return to the Santa Barbara Choral Society. As a soloist, she has performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Lüneburg Symphony in Germany, Orquesta Filarmónica de Boca del Río in Mexico, Pasadena Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Los Angeles Bach Festival, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Philharmonic, USC Symphony and Chorus, and others. She has had many appearances with the Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Opera Pacific, San Diego Opera and Opera Colorado.