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The Japanese soprano, Aine Hakamatsuka, obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Kansas Wesleyan University (2008-2012); and her Master of Music degree in Voice and Opera from Manhattan School of Music (2012-2014).
Aine Hakamatsuka is a feelance singer based in New York since 2014. She is a versatile artist whose vocal flexibility and love for collaborative music-making have led her to a career spanning concert, opera, and choral repertoire. Her versatility is evident on the concert stage, where she has appeared as a soloist in repertoire ranging from the traditional to the contemporary. She has been soprano at Opera Theatre of Montclair in Montclair, New Jersey (December 2015-December 2017), soprano at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. (2016-2019), and soprano at St. Bart's in New York City (since May 2019). She was recently seen as the soprano soloist in Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with the Open Gates Project, a project of Gotham Early Music Scene that aims to engage more artists of color on stage and grow the diversity of early music audiences. A champion of contemporary music, she has performed as a soloist in works by 20th and 21st century composers including David Lang, Katherine Hoover, and Thea Musgrave. Most notably, she was the soloist in the world premiere of Nina Shekhar’s Blush, a ten-minute long piece for soprano and choir that explores the sometimes painful, often beautiful experience of transforming from a girl into a woman. Other favorite solo works include J.S. Bach’s Magnificat (BWV 243), Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and the vocal ensemble arrangement of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Vocalise Op. 34, No. 14. This season (2021-2022), she is excited to sing François Couperin’s Leçons de Ténèbres in concert at the historic St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City.
A deep love of chamber music has inspired Aine Hakamatsuka to pursue a career that is equal parts solo and ensemble. In demand as a choral artist, she has appeared with the American Symphony Orchestra, Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity, Bard Festival Chorale, Musica Sacra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Virtuoso Singers, St. Bartholomew’s Church Choir, and Trinity Wall Street Choir, in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, the Met Museum, and many of New York City’s most beloved churches.
Described by the Observer as a “pearly soprano” and by The New York Times as having “loads of personality,” Aine Hakamatsuka has made a mark performing soubrette and lyric coloratura opera roles including Lucy in The Telephone, Blonde in W.A. Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Madame Silberklang in W.A. Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor, Barbarina in W.A. Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, and Gretel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, for which she was invited for a repeat performance at the Kennedy Center. When she is not performing, she enjoys teaching piano and voice lessons, and caring for her two cats Mimi and Momo. She currently lives in New York City. |
