Erin Alford

Erin Alford

Project Details

Project Description

Erin Alford

Erin Alford
Mezzo Soprano

First Prize Winner of the 2024 Pasadena Vocal Competition, mezzo-soprano Erin Alford is quickly making a name for herself on the operatic, concert and recital stage. In the 2025-2026 season, Erin returns to Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with The Muses Project in Arkansas, makes her role debut as the beloved Romeo in Bellini ‘s I Capuleti e i Montecchi with Opera Italia, and makes her principal debut at LA Opera as Neferneferuaten in the arresting Phelim McDermott production of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten.

Last season, Erin sang Effie and covered Augusta in The Ballad of Baby Doe with The Opera Buffs, portrayed Agata in the rarely-performed bel canto comedy Don Bucefalo with Pacific Opera Project, returned to Pensacola Opera to make her role debut as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, and covered Yvonne/Betty in Sunday in the Park with George at The Glimmerglass Festival. For her appearance as Agata, Erin was praised by Opera News for bringing “real bel canto craft” to the role. In the 2023-24 season, Erin appeared as Berenice in Rossini ’s L’occasione fa il ladro with Opera Southwest, in performances in LA Opera Connects outreach production Orpheus, in recital Words of Women in American Song with the Ebell of Los Angeles, as Alto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Pacific Opera Project and First Church Miami, and in concert with the Palm Springs Opera Guild.

In the 2022-23 season, she joined Florida Grand Opera as a Studio Artist, where she was seen as Fidalma in Il matrimonio secreto, La Ciesca in a double-bill of Gianni Schicchi & Buoso’s Ghost, and covered Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Erin’s performance of Fidalma was lauded as “statuesque and spunky,” and she was praised for her “powerful mezzo” and for “exhibit[ ing ] the best sense of classical style in the cast” (South Florida Classical Review). In the 2021-22 season, Erin performed Second Woman and Dido cover in Dido and Aeneas with Opera San José, returned to Pensacola Opera as Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflöte, and joined Opera Santa Barbara as a Chrisman Studio Artist, covering Hannah After in As One and performing song cycle The Starry Night with renowned American composer Jake Heggie at the piano. Additionally, Erin was named a 2022 Tennessee District Winner in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

Other notable roles performed include Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, the title role in Massenet’s Chérubin, Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking, Mercédès in Carmen, and Cousin Hebe in H.M.S. Pinafore. Erin received her Master of Music in her hometown at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music at UC Berkeley.