Gabriella Rodmac, soprano @ The Athenaeum

Born in San Diego, California and raised also in Tijuana, Mexico. Gabriella began her musical journey at a very young age performing at school concerts and as a member of the local church choir. She studied classical singing at the Conservatorio de la OBC in Tijuana after which she enrolled as a Dramatic Arts major and music minor at Mesa College in San Diego. Gabriella continued her theatrical studies in Madrid, Spain at the Escuela Superior de Artes y Espectaculos where she met and studied under renowned Spanish Zarzuela soprano Josefina Arregui. Some of her most influential teachers are Ignacio Clapes, Mary McKenzie, Ilia Aramayo and Roberto Coviello.

In 2010, Gabriella was chosen to perform the role of Carmen in a production of Bizet’s opera at Festival De Opera en la Calle in Tijuana under the direction of José Medina. She continued her collaboration with them until 2012 including the role of Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana. After performing at various concerts in Spain, Mexico and USA, she settled in Milan, Italy where she was accepted at Scuola Civica di Musica Claudio Abbado.

After obtaining her Bachelor’s in Classical Singing she went on to debut her first operatic role in a production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Busseto, Italy, where she went back to perform the role of Kate Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. She was Tosca in a concert form production of Puccini’s Opera at Teatro Gatto in Switzerland and reprised the role of Donna Elvira in a production of Don Giovanni in Varese, Italy. She was Maria in a Scuola Civica Claudio Abbado’s production of West Side Story and reprised the role in two other occasions in the city of Milan. She recently performed the roles of La Fata Turchina and La Volpe in a production of Natalia Valli’s Pinocchio in Los Angeles. Her repertoire includes Donna Elvira, Tosca, Trovatore, Gioconda, Cavalleria Rusticana, Adriana Lecouvreur to name a few.

She currently trains professionally under the instruction of renowned soprano Erika Pagan based in Rome, Italy in preparation for Gabriella’s upcoming singing engagements which include the role of Serafina in Donizetti’s Il Campanello. She is currently on the 2023-2024 Season Singer Roster at Teatro Lirico Sperimentale di Spoleto, one of Italy’s leading opera companies. Gabriella is known for the warmth and roundness of her voice as well as for the extended range and versatility. Her concert series have been a tremendous hit including the sold out concert: Le Stagioni dell’Amore (The Season’s of Love). Gabriella has sung at numerous prestigious venues including but not limited to Vigorelli Stadium in Milan, Italy where she was invited to sing the US National Anthem in collaboration with the U.S Consulate of Milan, at the XXV Italian Super Bowl.

Free concerts at noon every Monday from fall through spring . . . no wonder the Mini-Concerts are the longest-running and one of the most popular classical music series at the library! This series was founded by Glenna Hazleton in 1970 at the Athenaeum, and has been going strong ever since. The concerts feature both local and touring musicians, prize-winning students, university music faculty members, local chamber ensembles. . . and the repertoire also includes jazz, folk and world music. There are no reservations, no tickets . . . just line up at the side door of the Athenaeum before noon. (Donations are always welcome!) Mini-Concerts take place every Monday at noon and last about an hour.

The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Doors open at 11:50 a.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert.