Monica Ramich is a soprano and voice instructor based in Rochester, NY. On the operatic stage, her credits include performances as Cinderella (The True Story of Cinderella), Cendrillon (Viardot’s Cendrillon), Laetitia (The Old Maid and The Thief), Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Zdenka (Arabella), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), and Josephine (H.M.S. Pinafore). She is a former Intern with Rochester Lyric Opera and Apprentice Artist with Opera Ithaca.
In concert settings, Monica has performed a variety of repertoire as a soloist, from opera arias to Broadway classics and jazz standards. She has sung as the soprano soloist in choral works such as Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Missa Brevis in F and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, and Bach's Magnificat in D. She has also appeared as a featured soloist with Opera Ithaca, Mysterium Vocal Chamber Ensemble, Genesee Valley Orchestra & Chorus, Roberts Symphony Orchestra, Performance & Fun Theatre Company, The Lyric Theatre, and various ensembles.
Monica is equally at home in the genre of art song and is an active recitalist. She won the Encouragement Award in the 2022 Lucine Amara Art Song Competition hosted by The Century Opera, and most recently placed as a semifinalist in the 2023 Music International Grand Prix Competition. In 2020, she placed as a national finalist in The American Prize Performing Arts Competition (Art Song/Oratorio Division). She enjoys performing new music and has sung several art song world premieres by NY-based composers. In January 2019, Monica made her NYC debut at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music performing the world premiere of “Angel Inquieto,” a work for soprano and piano by Dominican-American composer Emmanuel Berrido. Monica has also performed in art song master classes with esteemed artists such as Graham Johnson and Martin Katz.
Monica completed her M.M. in Vocal Performance at Ithaca College, where she maintained a 4.0 GPA and was elected as a member of Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society because of her achievements. Monica holds a B.S. in Vocal Performance (summa cum laude) from Roberts Wesleyan College, where she was awarded the President's Citation for Academic Achievement in recognition for her cumulative 4.0 GPA. Upon graduation, she was elected as an honorable member of Alpha Kappa Sigma of the Association of Free Methodist Educational Institutions, on the basis of her excellence in scholarship, character, and extra-curricular activities.
In addition to performing, Monica is passionate about educating. She is currently on the music faculty at SUNY Brockport as an adjunct lecturer and voice instructor, and on the voice faculty at The Hochstein School of Music and Dance. In the classroom setting, she teaches courses in Voice, Musical Theater, and Music Theory. She offers private lessons to all ages and has tutored students in singing diction, music history, music theory, and aural skills. In Spring 2020, Monica co-founded, developed, and taught an online educational arts program for children entitled Virtual Summer Arts Program: Where Music Meets Movement, in collaboration with NYC-based choreographer and dance instructor Andrea Brodine. She has designed adult group voice classes through various community organizations, as well as themed music workshops for children (including “Music and Movement in the Park” with Andrea Brodine).
Monica also enjoys working in various music outreach positions. Since 2009, she has served as a cantor, pianist/organist, and choir director in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, where she has assisted in various leadership positions, designed resources and workshops for cantors, and provided liturgical music for Masses, funerals, and weddings. She has written articles for Modern Singer, a resource for professional singers, and has been a featured guest on podcasts such as “The Operapreneur,” “The Music Bowl,” and “Music Speaks Podcast.” Monica is grateful to be able to share the gift of music through performance, education, and outreach, particularly by investing in her local community in Rochester.
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