Paula Newberry - Soprano

American Soprano, Paula Newberry is known for her rich unique sound, effortless high notes, fluid vocal line, graceful stage presence and is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after talents of this generation. Most recently, Ms. Newberry was the recipient of the Gestalt Community School District Grammy Award for outstanding vocalist. In the summer of 2022, she had the debut of her “Backyard Opera Concert,” the first opera production by her own opera company, Rainbow Opera Enterprises, created in 2021. Her career has taken her to world concert stages such as Carnegie Hall, opera companies, symphonies, college recital halls, art museums and churches in New York, California, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and internationally in Italy, Germany and Austria. In the 2019/20 season, she was invited to sing for the Bayerische Opernakademie in Germany, received the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust Grant, Music Export Grant and was the special Guest Opera Singer in a tribute to the late great Contralto/Mezzo-Soprano, Vera Little, a native Memphian, who had an exceptional international opera career in Europe. The soprano’s 2016/17 season with 2013-2015,
Ms. Newberry has performed the roles of Violetta in La Traviata, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore, and a Cigarette Girl in Carmen LeMoyne Owen College opera scenes and as lead soloist in LeMoyne Owen College Commencement Exercises. She’s performed in Opera Memphis’ productions of Gershwin’s, Porgy and Bess and Aida. In 2012 she performed a recital of opera arias and spirituals with the Germantown Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Ron Vernon, Conductor. A specialist with operatic arias and equally at home with Italian, French Art Songs, German Lieder and the Spiritual Genre, Ms. Newberry began her German Liederabend and African-American Spirituals' Concert tour this past October 2011 at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee. This performance was followed by a Liederabend Recital apart of the Lyceum Concert Series at Rust College, Holly Springs, Mississippi in 2012. In the fall of 2010, Ms. Newberry sang in Opera Memphis' fabulous production of Verdi's, Aida. In 2009, she was apart of an amazing cast of singers in Opera Memphis' very first production of Scott Joplin's, "Treemonisha" and a guest artist at the 2009 Gateways Music Festival in Rochester, New York. In 2008, she also performed a concert recital at Brown Missionary Baptist Church, Southaven, MS and the role of "Belinda" in an opera scene from Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas", with the Memphis Opera and Song Academy. In November of 2007, after her performance with the Harrell Theater in Elton John's, Aida, A timeless love story, The Commercial Appeal said, "Paula Newberry's, "Nehebka" showed that a professional voice can magnify a small part into a memorable performance." In May 2006, she returned to Opera Memphis as the first soprano in the "Doctor Jesus" scene from George Gershwin's, "Porgy and Bess" and also got the opportunity to be apart of a 12 member vocal ensemble with international mezzo-soprano, Denyce Graves, at the 50th anniversary Opera Gala of Opera Memphis. She also performed the "Berlioz Requiem" with the Memphis Symphony Chorus. From 2004-2005, Ms. Newberry became the Classical Radio Announcer for KASU 91.7 FM at Arkansas State University. Carnegie Hall in New York was the place for her concert debut of "Evening of Opera" combined with "Spirit Moving Spirituals" in 2003 and in 2002, she made her company debut as "The First Spirit" in Mozart's, "Die Zauberflote in Memphis, TN with Opera Memphis.

Ms. Newberry has toured on world concert stages throughout the United States, Italy and Austria in venues such as Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall), Sala Pegasus (Spoleto, Italy), the San Francisco Bay Area Art Museums, The Germantown Performing Arts Center, The Germantown Symphony Orchestra, The Ebony Orchestra of Excellence, Rust College Concert Auditorium (1991 televised debut), Rhodes College Concert Auditorium, Border's Music, Barnes and Noble, the Junior Leagues of Memphis, Tennessee and Orlando, Florida, The Beethoven Club, Amro Music Auditorium, and in many prominent churches throughout the Mid-South Area. Her opera roles have included the "Sandman and the Dew Fairy" from Hansel and Gretel, "Gilda" from Rigoletto, "Cleopatra" from Giulio Cesare, First and Second Spirits from "Die Zauberflote" and "Treemonisha" from "Treemonisha", "Clara" from Porgy and Bess, "Susanna" from Le Nozze di Figaro, choral work in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Lucia di Lammermoor, arias and duets with Opera under the Stars at Como Opera, opera arias for "Guild at the Grille" at Como Opera.

Her theater work includes the roles of "Nehebka" in Elton John's, "Aida", the "Girl" and the "Negro" in "Roar of the Greasepaint Smell of the Crowd", and the "Opera Diva" in "Don't Ask Me Not To Sing". She has performed with Opera Memphis, Central Florida Lyric Opera, Como Opera, Cinnabar Opera, (Petaluma, CA), Oakland Opera, San Francisco Lilliput Player's Children's Theater, River Repertory Theater, (Jenner, CA), Harrell Performing Arts Theater, Memphis Vocal Arts Ensemble, St. Mary's Cathedral Choir, and the Germantown Symphony Orchestra.

Her film credits have included Johnny Cash's movie, Walk the Line, (2004), Rookie Bookie, (2003), Going to California, (2001), Take me Back to Beale, (2001), The Bachelor, (1998), and Mumford, (1997). Her recordings include Paula Newberry in Recital: Germantown Symphony Orchestra (2012); Coloratura Soprano, Paula Newberry, Concert at Rust College, (2012), Liederabend and Spirituals, Coloratura Soprano, Paula Newberry (2011), Evening of Opera Excerpts II (2004), Christmas at St. Mary's (2002), Spirit Moving Spirituals, (2001), Evening of Opera Excerpts I (1997).

Her vocal and writing honors and awards include acceptance into the Memphis Opera and Song Academy at the University of Memphis, vocal scholarships from The Marian Anderson Historical Society and Bellevue Foundation Bailey Music Scholarship Fund, Bagby Musical Foundation in New York, Society of Singers, MusiCares, The Actors Fund, American Guild of Musical Artists, International Scholarships from the University of Miami @ Salzburg, Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium, Community Foundation (The Autian Fund), The American Institute of Musical Studies Acceptance, Change, Inc. Grant of New York, The Beethoven Club, Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Lindenwood Christian Church, Second Congregational Church, Writer's Digest Poetry Writing Competition, Congressional Scholarship from Harold Ford Sr., to Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, Juilliard School of Music recommendation from the late Memphis Symphony Conductor, Alan Balter, recipient of keys to cities of Memphis, TN and Holly Springs, MS, and numerous other vocal scholarships.

Her Competitions have included the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, The Marian Anderson Vocal Competition, The Altamura Caruso International Voice Competition, The Loren Zachary Society Competition, Queens Opera Competition (Alternate winner), and The Beethoven Club Competition.

MacAllister Awards, She has worked with conductors and directors such as James Caraher(Indianapolis Opera Director), Michael Ching (Opera Memphis Director), Larry Marshall, Monroe Kanouse(former Sacramento Opera Director), David Loebel (Memphis Symphony Conductor), Dr. Lawrence Edwards, Edwin Hubbard(Germantown Symphony), Thomas Machen (Memphis Vocal Arts Ensemble), CJ Everett (Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium, Spoleto, Italy), Angelo Rappan (Harrell Theatre), Tom Rimes, Scott Conley (Harrell Theatre), the late David Durrett(Como Opera), Dr. Gerald Walker, and John J. Fuller(Bravo! Ristorante). Her teachers and vocal coaches have included work with Soprano, Grace Bumbry (Master Classes), Coloratura soprano, Osceola Davis, Matthew Carey (Assistant Professor of Vocal Studies, Arkansas State University),Thomas Machen, Ethel Maxwell, David Tigner(Berkeley Music School), Marcie Richardson, the late Sara Beth Causey, Monroe Kanouse(former Sacramento Opera Director), Marcie Stapp(San Francisco Conservatory of Music), Clyde Battles, (LeMoyne-Owen College), Alessandro Benigi, Federico Brunello, Eddi De Nadai, and Bruno Campanella (Vocal Coaches for Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium, Spoleto, Italy).

Her vocal studies and education include a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Oberlin College and vocal studies at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, OH, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, Internationale Sommerakademie Universitat Mozarteum, (Salzburg, Austria), the Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium, (Spoleto, Italy) and Graduate Vocal Studies at Arkansas State University.
She has been featured on WREG-TV (CBS) Live at 9, Morning Show ABC 24, KASU 91.9 FM Radio spotlight, WURC FM 88.1 Rust College Radio Station,, Corriere dell'Umbria (Umbria, Italy), Opera America, Orlando Advocate, The Russian River Times, The Memphis Flyer, The Commercial Appeal, and the Collierville Herald-Independent.

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