Amanda Simms, soprano, is a recent graduate of the Peabody Institute for her Graduate Performance Diploma where she was a recipient of the George Castelle Memorial Award and the Artistic Excellence Scholarship. Most recently, Amanda attended SongFest 2023 as a recipient of the 2023 Brown Loranger Full Fellowship.
In the spring of the 2022/23 season, Amanda was the Soprano Soloist in the Mozart Requiem with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra. She won Third Prize in the Partners for the Arts 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 and joined the Indemini Festival this summer.
Earlier in the 22/23 season, Amanda performed the title role of Massenet’s Cendrillon with Peabody Opera. She made her debut with Bach in Baltimore as an Emerging Artist in November. In October, Amanda was awarded the Spirit of Camille Award at the Camille Coloratura Competition. She returned to her alma mater Montclair State University as a featured soloist for the Fall 2022 Concert.
In the 2021/22 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.