American soprano Emily Douglass has been praised for the power, clarity, and seemingly effortless coloratura of her voice, as well as the intensity and persuasiveness of her characterizations. Critics have hailed her performances as “celestial, luminous singing” (Knoxville News Sentinel), “powerful and winsome” (Dallas Morning News), and “...easily filled the vast hall with stylish and emotive coloratura singing” (Birmingham News).

A graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Tennessee, Ms. Douglass holds degrees in vocal performance, dance performance, and music education. She now serves as Voice Area Coordinator at Hillsdale College, where she leads the voice program and directs Opera Workshop. In addition to her performing career, she is a noted interpreter of contemporary music, commissioning and premiering new works by numerous composers, and is widely recognized for her expertise in vocal pedagogy, audition preparation, and opera direction, mentoring singers toward both academic and professional success.

Her notable operatic appearances include Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment and Rosina in The Barber of Seville(Lyric Opera San Diego), Gilda in Rigoletto (Opera Birmingham and Asheville Lyric Opera), Frasquita in Carmen(Dallas Symphony Orchestra), and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor (Knoxville Opera). She has also brought vivid portrayals to roles such as Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, and the First Lady in The Magic Flute.

On the concert stage, Ms. Douglass has appeared as soprano soloist in major works including Mozart’s Requiem(Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas; Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra), Poulenc’s Gloria (Knoxville Symphony Orchestra; Asheville Symphony Orchestra), and with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra. She is also a frequent featured soloist with the International Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Oak Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Douglass has garnered significant recognition on the competition stage. She seized the Grand Prize and Audience Prize at the prestigious Meistersinger International Vocal Competition in Graz, Austria; won the Grand Prize at both Opera Birmingham’s Vocal Competition and the NATSAA Kentucky/Tennessee Region; and earned top honors as a prize winner at the NATSAA National Finals, the Orpheus Voice Competition, the Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year, and the Marguerite McCammon Vocal Competition with Fort Worth Opera. She was further distinguished as a Press Prize Winner at the Meistersinger Competition and as a semi-finalist in the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition.