Amanda Simms, soprano, praised for her “ravishing lyric soprano” (theatrescene) is a graduate of the Peabody Institute for her Performance Diploma where she was a recipient of the George Castelle Memorial Award and the Artistic Excellence Scholarship.
In the 2024/25 season, Amanda joins Opera Neo as a resident artist and will cover roles in Motezuma (Vivaldi) and Armida (Haydn). She attended the Castleton Festival as a resident artist for the Vocal Immersion Program performing in the lieder song recital and opera scenes program under the direction of Paul Groves and Michelle DeYoung.
In 2024, Amanda premiered the role of Anna de Chantal in a workshop performance of Act 1 of composer Anthony Davis and librettist Joan Soarkin’s new opera The Reef at Merkin Hall with Berkshire Opera Festival. Amanda gave a solo recital with City Lyric Opera that she curated with a focus on women’s voices and underrepresented voices in classical music. She performed the role of Gila in Rigoletto with New Jersey Lyric Opera and Handmaiden I in Opera Delaware’s production of Turandot.
In the 22/23 season, Amanda was the Soprano Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra. She won Third Prize in the Partners for the Arts Competition, the Spirit of Camille Award at the Camille Coloratura Competition, was a finalist in the Career Bridges Grant Award, and a semi-finalist in the James Toland Vocal Competition. Amanda performed in a masterclass with Sherrill Milnes hosted by Maryland Lyric Opera. She was a resident artist with the Indemini Festival and SongFest as a recipient of the 2023 Brown Loranger Fellowship.
Amanda performed the title role of Massenet’s Cendrillon with Peabody Opera. She made her debut with Bach in Baltimore as an Emerging Artist and returned to her alma mater Montclair State University as a featured soloist for the Fall 2022 Concert.
In the 2022/21 season, Amanda Simms was a finalist in the 2022 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition and the 2022 Sylvia Green Vocal Competition. Amanda has performed Rhoda (Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt) under direction of librettist Eric Einhorn with the Peabody Opera in collaboration with the Maryland Science Center.
She joined Opera North in 2021 as a resident artist for the roles of Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare), and Amore (Orfeo ed Euridice). She has performed the role of Lucia (Rape of Lucretia) and Asteria (Tamerlano), with Montclair State University. Amanda placed 2nd in the 2021 Charleston International Music Competition and 2nd the NATS Eastern Region competition.
In 2020 Amanda planned to debut Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) at the Trentino Music Festival (covid-19). Also in 2020, Amanda was a finalist in the Vienna Summer Music Festival competition, semi-finalist in the Orpheus Competition, and won 2nd place in the Advanced College Division of the NATS New York City Chapter competition.
Amanda graduated from Montclair State University in 2019 with a Master of Music in Vocal Performance, where she served as graduate assistant for the choral department, and teaching assistant for the music history department with full scholarship.
She has performed as soprano soloist in numerous oratorio works including Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Kean Conservatory and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and Handel’s Messiah with Montclair State.
