Soprano Manami Hattori is originally from Kobe, Japan but she has been living and singing in the US for more than a decade. Most recently she has sung several leading roles in NYC, including the title role in Sour Angelica, Micaela in Carmen, and Musetta in La Boheme with DiCapo Opera Theater. She sang Musetta with National Lyric Opera in MA. She may also be seen on the recently-released DVD of The Thief of Love, available from Humming birds Films, singing the role of Hira, for which Opera News stated “Manami Hattori as Hira is particularly praise worthy…”
Ms. Hattori sang Berta in Barber of Seville with the Ashlawn Opera Festival in 2004, and Her singing did not go unnoticed, for she received high praise from Charlottesville, VA Daily Progress stating “…big voices come in small packages …you will get a jolt when Berta, played by M.Hattori, belts out her aria…” For this same performance the Richmond Times Dispatch said “…Hattori made Berta’s arietta one of the musical highlights of the evening…” She performed with TSP-a young artist program in NYC-, where she made her first soprano debut singing Adiana in Elixir of Love and Papagena in The Magic Flute.
As a young artist with Aspen Music Festival, she sang Annio from La clemenza di Tito, and sang in La Conversa and La Cesca (cover) from Il Trittico as well. She also performed at the Kurt Weil at 100 Concert, and was a part of the radio broadcast. She has chosen to sing at Mater Class at Carnegie Hall with Chirisa Ludwig and took her private voice sessions in France.
She has sung many concerts and recitals throughout Japan, the United States and Europe. She has also sung numerous oratorio performances such as Messiah, St Matthew Passion, The Creation, Elijah, Faure Requiem, Symphony 9 by Beethoven, Mass in C Minor by Mozart and various Bach Cantatas. She performed a concert in memory of the victims of Kobe Earthquake in 1995.The same year she was also the winner, out if more than 600 Japanese singers, of the International Auditions of San Francisco Opera Center. She performed in the Merola productions of Elixir of love, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and the Merola Grand Final Concert; as a result she received the Minton B Evans Memorial Award from it. While she was a full scholarship graduate student at Stony Brook, NY. She was seen as Angelica in La Cenerentola, the Neighbor on Mavra, Hira in the world Premiere performances of the Thief of Love, and Julius Caesar. In other operatic performances during that time, she sang Rosina form Barbiere di Siviglia and Lucille from La scalar di Seta with Opera Risotto.
A versertile performer, she is also familiar with musical theater. Her musical theater credits include Oklahoma!, Annie, Fidller on the roof, Westside Story, Nine and The Sound of Music.
Some of the awards and scholarships Ms. Hattori has received over years include the Faculty if Music Awards-the prize for graduating first in her class from Kyoto City University if the Arts, the Governor, of Osaka prefecture’s New Comer Awards, the Mayor if Osaka’s Award, the Young Performer’s Award, for which she has sang recital at the Naniwa Art Festival, Minton B.Evans Memorial Award from the Merola. She also took first prize in the 45th All Japan Music Competition, and was the semifinalist of the Concert Artist’s Guild International Competition. She also received full scholarships from Stony Brook in NY and Aspen Music Festival.
Manami Hattori received her Bachelors degree from KCUA, and continued her education at the KCUA graduate school of Music, as well as master degrees from SUNY at Stony Brook. She holds the highest license of teaching music from Japanese government.
She is very active musician in NY area; she has performed in Carnegie Hall as well as Lincoln Center with NY philharmonic.
She has been working as a music teacher, piano instructor, choir director, conductor and accompanist for over 15 years. She has been a music director and piano instructor at IAAC since 2007 and has directed numerous children’s shows, including The Sound of Music, The Lion King, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and Annie.
