American soprano, Elizabeth Beers Kataria, is delighted to have recently been selected to participate in the 2008 Les Azuriales Opera Festival Young Artist Programme in St Jean Cap Ferrat, France.  Her expereince there will culminate in a final concert and competition held at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in August.  Shortly afterward, Elizabeth will head west to compete in the Festival Nuits Lyriques et Voix du Monde en Marmondais Concours International de Chant in Marmande.  Closer to home, she appeared with the Gateway Classical Music Society this spring in a concert of Orchestral Overtures, Arias & Ensembles in Greenwich, CT where she appeared in selections from Tannhäuser, Fidelio and Die Zauberflöte.

 

Elizabeth is the beneficiary of a study grant from the Wagner Society of New York and was selected to compete in the most recent Seattle Opera International Wagner Competition. In the Fall of 2007 she was invited to Priego de Córdoba, Spain to participate in the V Concurso Internacional de Canto “Pedro Lavirgen” where she progressed to the third round.  Elizabeth has been a finalist for the Lyric Opera of Chicago LOCAA Ensemble, the 2008 Classical Singer Magazine AudComps Competition and a prize winner in the Professional Vocal Division of the 2007 Coeur d'Alene Symphony Young Artist Competition.  

 

She has previously appeared in the title roles in both Madama Butterfly and Suor Angelica and as Magda de Civry in La Rondine with great success.  Her appearance as Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni was referred to as "Impressive," by the Ashville Citizen – Times.  She has been a featured soloist in many concerts and recitals, most notably as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis under the baton of the late Robert Shaw. 

 

Other recent engagements include her debut as Leonore in a concert performance of Fidelio with Empire Opera, her reprisal of the title role in Suor Angelica and two productions of Die Zauberflöte as Erste Dame.  Elizabeth appeared with the Rockland County Choral Society as a guest soloist for their 70th Anniversary Gala Concert in selections from Mendelssohn's Elijah, Die Fledermaus and Der Rosenkavalier.     

   

Elizabeth is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and is a student of Rita Shane.  She currently resides with her husband just outside of New York City.