Heather Engebretson

Heather Engebretson (born February 21, 1990) is a Chinese-American operatic soprano who made a career mostly in Europe. Based at German opera ensembles for several years, she has worked freelance since 2017, and widened her repertoire from coloratura roles to leading characters such as Puccini's Madama Butterfly. She has been praised for her convincing acting as well as the expressiveness of her lyric voice, with performances including the Royal Opera House in London, the Bolshoi Theatre and Oper Frankfurt.

Career Engebretson attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, and also the Juilliard School under Edith Wiens. She was a laureate at the singing competition of the Savonlinna Opera Festival and the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition of Graz.

Her stage debut was in St. Louis, where she performed the role of Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. She also appeared in St Louis as Gretel in Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel. She appeared as Alcina at the Bolshoi Theatre and the Staatstheater Stuttgart, as the four leading ladies in Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, as Mimi in Puccini's La bohème at the Komische Oper Berlin, as Liù in Puccini's Turandot at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège, and as Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari. She appeared as Puccini's Liú at the 2024 Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden, conducted by Yoel Gamzou and with stage direction and scenic design by Daniela Kerck, who gave Liú prominence in the story, identifying Prince Calaf with Puccini and Liú with his housekeeper who is active on stage for most of the time. A reviewer from the Frankfurter Rundschau noted her radiance in acting and her effortless voice.

In concert, Engebretson appeared in Mahler's Eighth Symphony at both the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Dresden Philharmonie. She also performed in his Second Symphony with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. She appeared in Schubert's Mass in G major at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Verdi's Requiem in Nürnberg, Orff's Carmina Burana with both the Dortmunder Philharmoniker and the Munich Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra, and Britten's War Requiem in Mannheim, conducted by Alexander Soddy.