Nicole
Biography
Meet Nicole Heinen
Noted for her "golden-voiced" singing (Voix des Arts) and "deft hand at verbal and physical comedy" (The Isthmus), American soprano Nicole Heinen has dazzled audiences with her demanding stage presence. Praised by the Journal Sentinel for her “clear, ringing sound and facile technique”, Ms. Heinen is establishing herself as an artist to watch.
Ms. Heinen kicks off her 2023-2024 season as a resident artist with Pensacola Opera where she will debut as Despina (Così fan tutte), cover the titular role of Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor) and perform the role of Adele (Die Fledermaus). She will also be making her Pensacola Choral Society debut as the soprano soloist in two performances of Handel's "Messiah".
Nicole started the 2022-2023 season by making her debut with Opera Louisiane as the soprano soloist in the double bill feature of Bernstein's "Bonne Cuisine" and Hoiby's "Bon Appétit!" In October, Ms. Heinen made her debut TV appearance as "Iolanta" in AMC's "Interview with the Vampire." She also made her debut in November with the New Orleans Opera as the Dew Fairy (Hansel & Gretel) and in March returned to Florentine Opera for a new role debut as Despina (Così fan tutte). In January, Ms. Heinen made her role debut as the famous Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute) as a guest artist with Loyola University. Recently, Ms. Heinen won the Mary Ellen Clancy Memorial Award in the MIOpera Competition. In part with the MIOpera Competition and Opera Illinois League, Ms. Heinen will perform a recital in Spring of 2023.
In the 2021-22 season, Ms. Heinen made her Chautauqua Opera debut as Henrietta M. (The Mother of Us All). While at Chautauqua, Nicole covered Mukhtar Mai (Thumbprint), Lillian Russell (The Mother of Us All) and Un Pastore (Tosca). Additionally, Ms. Heinen won the Wisconsin District for the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and 4th place in the Mary Jacob Singer of the Year Competition. Nicole also competed as a finalist in the John Alexander Vocal Competition and a semi-finalist in the Premiere Opera Foundation Competition and the Orpheus Vocal Competition.
As a Baumgartner Studio Artist, Ms. Heinen made her debut with the Florentine Opera portraying Miss Frayne and Margaret Hughes (cover) in Carlisle Floyd's Prince of Players and Fortuna/Valletto in Claudio Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea. Additionally, Nicole performed as a soloist in Florentine Opera’s 85th anniversary gala where she “brought [Juliette’s Waltz] off with beauty and mischief” (Urban Milwaukee). In addition to her significant debut’s with Florentine in the 2018-2019 season, Ms. Heinen won the Wisconsin District as part of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the IAET Award in the Casa Italia Competition.
During the 2017-2018 season Ms. Heinen made both her debut appearances as a summer concert artist in residence with the Florentine Opera and performer at the Ravinia Festival. In addition to her debuts, Nicole was a finalist in the 2017 international Handel Aria Competition in part with the Madison Early Music Festival. Other roles include La Fée (Cendrillon), Mademoiselle Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor), Atalanta (Serse), Sister Constance (cover, Dialogues of the Carmelites), Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring), #1 (Transformations) and Adina (Elixir of Love) while touring with Opera for the Young in their 2016-2017 season.
In addition to opera, Ms. Heinen equally enjoys performing concert and chamber music. She has performed as a soloist with the Florentine Opera, New Orleans Opera and Caroga Lake Chamber Festival.
Ms. Heinen holds a Bachelors in Music from the Eastman School of Music and a Masters in Music from UW-Madison. Her repertoire includes but not limited to Die Königin der Nacht (Die Zauberflöte), Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), Gilda (Rigoletto), Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), La Fée (Cendrillon), Marie (La Fille du Régiment), Cunegonde (Candide), and Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare).