Acclaimed as an eminent interpreter of Baroque, bel canto, and Lieder repertoire, mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux has been honored with the ARIA, the International Opera Award, the International Classical Music Award, and New York City Opera’s Christopher Keene Award, as well as the Johann-Adolf-Hasse-Stiftung’s Hasse-Preis and the 2017 Stiftung Händel-Haus’s Händel-Preis.
A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, she has performed in many of the world’s most prestigious venues, not only as a performer but also as an educator and jury member.
Since her professional debut as Isabella in Rossini’s L'italiana in Algeri, Vivica has garnered praise from critics and audiences alike for her vivid interpretations of a wide range of roles in opera and oratorio, including numerous trouser roles.
In addition to focusing on the works of Vivaldi, Händel, and Rossini, which form the cornerstones of her career, she has championed the rediscovery of Hasse’s operas and revitalized music composed for legendary singers, including Farinelli, Faustina Bordoni, and Isabella Colbran.
Her specially conceived program Vivica & Viardot explores the life of Pauline Viardot through music she created and inspired.
Notable engagements in 2025 include her long-awaited debut as Baba the Turk in Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress with Des Moines Metro Opera.
In recent seasons, she has participated in highly acclaimed projects, including the modern world premiere of Riccardo Broschi’s Idaspe and the premieres of her concert programs Capriccio: Themes and Variations and Lucifera: Illuminating the Darkness, as well as major role debuts in Francesca Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d'Alcina, Alessandro Scarlatti’s Mitridate Eupatore, Vivaldi’s Orlando furioso, and Händel’s Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, Baldassarre, and Ercole.
Vivica’s extensive discography includes complete opera recordings of works by Vivaldi, Händel, Hasse, Bertoni, Donizetti, Bellini, and Meyerbeer.
Her recital albums Bel Canto Arias, Arias for Farinelli, A Tribute to Faustina Bordoni, and Rival Queens with Simone Kermes are highlights of a recording career crowned by four GRAMMY® nominations.
With the same passion she brings to the stage, Vivica is dedicated to training future generations of singers through the V/vox Academy, private teaching, and highly successful masterclasses.