Born in New York City, Dramatic Soprano Celeste Siciliano made her European Operatic Debut as Amelia in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera in 2013/14 season with Landestheater Coburg in Germany in a production directed by Volker Vogel under the baton of Roland Kluttig. 

"Diesen inneren Konflikt gestaltet die junge Americanische Sopranistin Celeste Siciliano als fulminantes Rollendebüt mit dramatischer Durchschlagskraft, aber auch mit anrührend zarten Tönen." (Coburger Tageblatt 28.10.2013.)

(This inner conflict is shaped by the young American soprano Celeste Siciliano in a brilliant role debut with dramatic power, but also with touchingly delicate tones.)

"Celeste Siciliano als Amelia wird zum Star des Abends: die Sopranistin verzaubert mit Passion und Pathos ihrer mächtigen Stimme das Publikum." (Neue Presse Coburg 28.10.2013)

(Celeste Siciliano as Amelia becomes the star of the evening: the soprano enchants the audience with passion and pathos of her powerful voice.)

 

During the same season, she was featured as soprano soloist in Benjamin Britten’s powerful War Requiem with the Coburger Bachchor and Philharmonische Orchester des Landestheater under the batons of Peter Stenglein and Lorenzo Da Rio.

 

“Celeste Siciliano…schwebe mit ihrem strahlkräftigen Sopran bei Bedarf scheinbar mühelos auch über dem geballten Fortissimo des Orchesters und verbindet doch zugleich klangliche Durchsetzungskraft mit innigem Ausdruck.”Coburger Tageblatt - 26 November 2013 (Jochen Berger)

(“Celeste Siciliano...with her radiant soprano voice, she seems to float effortlessly above the concentrated fortissimo of the orchestra when necessary, while at the same time combining sonic assertiveness with heartfelt expression.”)

 

In May 2015, Celeste traveled to South Korea to sing the role of Sieglinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre under the baton of Constantin Trinks with the Seoul Philharmonic, starring opposite internationally acclaimed heldentenor, Simon O'Neill as Siegmund.

In the same year she sang the title role of Norma in 20 performances of Bellini’s masterpiece, first with Landestheater Coburg, in a production directed by Konstanze Lauterbach, under the baton of Roland Kluttig then with Staatstheater Kassel under the baton of Anja Bihlmaier in 2016.

 

In der Titelrolle brilliert Celeste Siciliano, [...] Die großen Kantilenen - darunter "Casta Diva", die berühmteste Arie aus "Norma - gestaltet sie fein nuanciert und mit bemerkenswerter Trennschärfe bei den Koloraturen. Zwischen kultiviertem Piano und leuchtender, linienklarer Höhe akzentuiert sie die Zerrissenheit der Figur."  (Neue Presse Coburg, 21.9.2015)

(Celeste Siciliano excels in the title role, [...] The great cantilenas - including" Casta Diva ". the most famous aria from Norma - she finely nuanced and with remarkable selectivity in the coloratura. Between cultivated piano and luminous, line-clear height, it accentuates the fragmentation of the character.)

 

"Im Zentrum des ausdauernden Jubels: die Sopranistin Celeste Siciliano in der Titelpartie. Sie singt die Norma mit lyrischer Intensität und dramatischer Kraft. Sie lässt ihre schier endlosen Kantilenen nicht nur in der berühmten Arie „Casta Diva“ wunderbar zart aufblühen und die Hoffnung und die Verzweiflung gleichermaßen
eindringlich Klang werden. Und sie spielt mit großem Einsatz, mit darstellerischem Nachdruck, lässt die Gewissensqualen dieser Frau nachvollziehbar werden." (Coburger Tageblatt, 21.9.2015)

(At the center of the sustained jubilation: soprano Celeste Siciliano in the title role, sings Norma with lyrical intensity and dramatic power, making her seemingly endless cantilenas wonderfully tender, and not only in the famous" Casta Diva "aria. Desperation penetrates the sound. And she plays with great dedication, with dramatic emphasis, makes the conscience of this woman understandable.)

 

Also in 2015, she was also seen as Mimi in La Bohéme at Landestheater Coburg in a production by Brigitte Fassbaender and Bettina Munzer.

 

In the ground breaking production by Hans Walter Richter and Bernhard Niechotz, Celeste was featured as Tosca at Landestheater Coburg under the batons of Roland Kluttig and Roland Fister in 2017/18.

 

"Die Sopranistin Celeste Siciliano singt diese Tosca mit berührender Intensität, mit makelloser Schönheit des Tons und großer Ausdruckskraft. Auch darstellerisch zieht sie in Bann.“ (Coburger Tageblatt, 2.10.2017)

(The soprano Celeste Siciliano sings this Tosca with touching intensity, with impeccable beauty of sound and great expressiveness. She casts her spell.)

 

"Mit Celeste Siciliano [...] konnte man eine Tosca verpflichten, die in jedem Moment sängerisch wie darstellerisch den riesigen Anforderungen dieser Rolle gerecht würde. Ihre große Stimme bewältigt tonschön jede Höhe; ebenso gelingen ihr mit natürlicher Leichtigkeit die zarten und berührenden Momente dieser anspruchsvollen Partie.“

(Neue Presse Coburg, 2.10.2017)

(With Celeste Siciliano [...] it was possible to obey a Tosca, who at every moment, both vocally and dramatically, would meet the huge demands of this role, her great voice mastering every note, and with natural ease succeeding in the tender and touching moments of this demanding part.)

 

Later in 2018, Celeste sang as the Soprano Soloist in the Messa da Requiem of Giuseppe Verdi in Aalen and Schwäbisch Gmünd under the batons of Thomas Baur and Walter Johannes Beck.

 

During her time living in Sydney, Australia, Celeste was invited by The Wagner Society of New South Wales to present a concert in celebration of the composer’s birthday at the Goethe Institute, accompanied by bass-baritone Ted Labow and pianist Jonathan Wilson.  While there, she was also selected by Opera Australia to cover the role of Ortrud in Lohengrin in Melbourne in 2020, a contract that was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19. 

 
In the United States, Celeste made several appearances at Carnegie Hall as a winner of both the Liederkranz Foundation Competition 2013 in the Wagner Division, and as first place winner in the 2013 Barry Alexander International Competition.  Other honors include a Career Grant from The Wagner Society of New York in 2013, the Distinction Award from The Metropolitan International Vocal Competition in 2013 and the Lynne Cushman Career Development Award presented by Opera Project of New Jersey in 2012. 

 

In a concert version of Strauss’ Elektra, Celeste was featured in the title role under the baton of Benoit Renard in a production presented by The Manhattan Opera Studio at the National Opera Center in New York City . 

 
Other roles performed in concert include Elisabetta in Don Carlo, Leonora in La Forza del Destino, the title role in Äida, Giorgetta in Il Tabarro, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, the title role in Turandot, Magda in The Consul, the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos, Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer, Ortrud in Lohengrin and the role of Brünnhilde in both Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung.

 

After appearing in the title role of Puccini's Madama Butterfly in Pennsylvania with Opera Lancaster in a production directed by former Metropolitan Opera singer John Darrenkamp, she was greeted with praise from critics:

"This voice, rich with passion and pathos, made me believe [...] Siciliano was Butterfly." (Lancaster Online Arts Review May 2012)

In the season of 2010/11, Celeste appeared with One World Symphony, performing Richard Strauss' Vier Letzte Lieder and Isolde from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde under the baton of Sung Jin Hong. 

Celeste received advanced vocal training in New York City under the esteemed tutelage of voice pedagogue and music critic, Conrad L. Osborne.  She is currently studying the Rabine method with the head of the institute, Uwe Götz.  Additionally training programs include AIMS in Graz, Austria and the Johanna Meier Opera Theatre Institute, where she studied with Wagnerian soprano, Johanna Meier.  She holds a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor's of Music Degree from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.