Tara Stafford-Spyres

Missouri-born soprano Tara Stafford-Spyres has established a distinguished international career. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Drury University and a Master of Music from the Peabody Conservatory. Her performances span North America, Europe, and Asia, with appearances at prestigious festivals—including the Festival de Lanaudière, Herbstliche Musiktage Bad Urach, and the Rossini in Wildbad festival—as well as engagements with acclaimed ensembles such as the Utah Symphony and the Moscow Chamber Orchestra.

The 2024/2025 season marked several significant debuts for the soprano, including her first appearance with the Wiener Symphoniker at the Primavera da Vienna festival in Trieste. During this period, she also debuted with the Topeka Symphony, Ozarks Lyric Opera, the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra in Novi Sad, Serbia, and at the Mage International Belcanto Festival in Seoul. In 2026, she made her highly anticipated debut with the Wiener Johann Strauss Orchestra at their annual Spring Concert in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein.

Having begun her professional journey at the age of 18 with the Ozarks Lyric Opera, Tara has since excelled in signature roles such as Gilda (Rigoletto), Mimì (La Bohème), and the Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute). Other notable highlights include her 2021 and 2022 appearances at the Les Volques festival in France, her portrayal of Nedda in Pagliacci (2022), and a celebrated bel canto gala in Aix-en-Provence.

Her discography includes the 2012 NAXOS recording of Rossini’s uncut Guillaume Tell, in which she performed the role of Jemmy. Beyond the operatic stage, she is an accomplished oratorio and chamber music performer, and since 2021, she has successfully expanded her repertoire into rock and pop concert performances