Bio
Mezzo-soprano Winona Martin is quickly gaining recognition for her rich mezzo sound and prowess in both pants roles and powerful women alike. The 2024/25 season will see her Washington National Opera lead role debut as Laurene Powell Jobs in Bates' The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, where she’ll be returning for a second year in the Cafritz Young Artist Program, as well as a house and role debut as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Annapolis Opera. In the summer of 2024, she joined The Glimmerglass Festival as Linfea in their production of La Calisto and The Cooperstown Music Festival for their Bach Again concert. In the 2023/24 season, she joined Washington National Opera as a member of the esteemed Cafritz Young Artist Program, and notably made her Washington National Opera house and role debut as Stéphano in Gounod’s Romèo et Juliette to rave reviews, in addition to performing Mary in Tesori’s The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me, and Rosmira in Handel’s Partenope.
In the 2022/2023 season, Ms. Martin joined Utah Opera as a Resident Artist where she sang the roles of Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto, and The Teacher in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, in addition to multiple educational tours and recitals throughout the beautiful state of Utah. She made her professional concert debut in November of 2022 with The City Choir of Washington as a soloist in their performance of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, and later that month joined Utah Symphony's presentation of Handel's Messiah as the alto soloist. Following a successful season with Utah Opera, Winona returned to Wolf Trap Opera as a studio artist for a second summer, where she opened the season with A Night at the Opera with the National Orchestral Institute + Festival, and covered both Siebel in Faust and Zerlina in Don Giovanni. Winona previously made her professional debut with Wolf Trap Opera as Mrs. McLean in their 2022 production of Susannah.
In competition, Winona was named the 1st place winner of Annapolis Opera’s 35th Annual Vocal Competition. She is a Regional Encouragement Award winner and a four-year Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and was a Finalist in the National Opera Association Carolyn Bailey Argento Competition, in addition to wins at the NATS National Student Auditions, and the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition.
Other notable roles include Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito, Nancy in Albert Herring, El gato in El gato con botas, and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro. She has previously held positions as a Young Artist at Prague Summer Nights, Up North Vocal Institute, and SongFest, where she was the recipient of a Colburn Fellowship, and was supported by a grant from Denver-based Allied Arts Inc. as she transitioned into her graduate program. She attended the University of Colorado - Boulder for her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Boston Conservatory at Berklee for her M.M. in Opera Performance, where she was the Jost J. and Reine C. Fleck Opera Scholar. Outside of the opera house, Winona can be found on her beloved road bike, in the yoga studio, or on the hiking trail.