Eri Nakamura

Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura first shot to prominence as a Jette Parker Young Artist when she stepped in to replace Anna Netrebko as Giulietta I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Since then she has made notable debuts in Europe, Asia, North and South America, capturing worldwide acclaim for her assured singing and artistic intensity.

During the 2022/23 season, Nakamura has performed Toshio Hosokawa’s Hanjo in a co-production by the Catapult Opera of New York and Fondazione Haydn di Bolzano, and Mimi La boheme in Tokyo, also appearing in concert with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Pannon Philharmonic and for a Verdi Gala with the Scottish Opera. In 2023/24, she makes her debut appearances with the Royal Swedish Opera (Cio-Cio San Madama Butterfly) and English National Opera (7 Deaths of Maria Callas).

Last season she debuted the role of Cio-Cio San at the New National Theatre, Tokyo, later performing the same role in her return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She also sang her first Magda La Rondine at Biwako Hall, and appeared in concert with the Hallé conducted by Sir Mark Elder (Madama Butterfly), Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven’s 9th Symphony) and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (Ravel Shéhérazade).

Recent operatic highlights include Woglinde Götterdämmerung as part of National Taichung Theater’s four year Ring Cycle programme, directed by Carlus Padrissa, Mimi at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile, Woglinde with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Clorinda La Cenerentola at the Wiener Staatsoper, Susanna Le nozze di Figaro at the New National Theatre Tokyo and Hyogo performing Arts Centre, and Liù Turandot at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opera de Oviedo and Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse. Other recent highlights include Juliette Roméo et Juliette at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile, Gilda Rigoletto at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Salzburger Landestheater, and Pamina Die Zauberflöte for Washington National Opera.

Between 2010-2016, Nakamura was a member of the ensemble at the Bayerische Staatsoper where roles included Adina L’elisir d’amore, Gretel Hänsel und Gretel, Susanna Le nozze di Figaro, Pamina Die Zauberflöte, Woglinde, Zerlina Don Giovanni, Frasquita Carmen, and Giulietta I Capuleti e I Montecchi.

On the concert platform, recent highlights include Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Japan and Osaka Philharmonic and Tokyo Philharmonic orchestras, Mahler Symphony No.4 and Rossini Stabat Mater under Yannick Nézet-Séguin with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, St Cecilia Mass with Alain Altinoglou and Orchestre National de France, Dvorak Stabat Mater with the Czech Philharmonic, Ravel Shéhérazade with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and Woglinde Das Rheingold with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Jaap van Zweden.

Nakamura is an alumna of the Osaka College of Music, the Opera Studio at the New National Theatre Tokyo, the Opera Studio Nederland and the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House. Whilst on the Programme, roles at Covent Garden roles included Musetta La bohème, Frasquita Carmen, and Lauretta Gianni Schicchi. Upon her graduation from the programme, she returned to Covent Garden as a guest to sing Susanna Le nozze di Figaro under Sir Colin Davis and Sophie Werther under Sir Antonio Pappano, which was recorded by Deutsche Grammophon.