Melissa Thorburn
Mezzo Soprano
New England First Place Winner, 1982

Melissa Thorburn is currently an Adjunct Professor of Music at Cansius College in Buffalo. The mezzo-soprano performs frequently with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chamber Music on Elmwood series. She has been on the music faculties of the University at Buffalo and Niagara County Community College, and also teaches privately.

An Illinois native, Melissa began her career as a pianist, and received Bachelor of Music degrees in both piano and vocal performance from Louisiana State University. She studied piano in Paris for two years on fellowships from the French and American governments, and received a Master of Music degree in voice from the New England Conservatory. The mezzo has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, and with the opera companies of Sacramento, Austin, Knoxville, Sarasota, Omaha, Kansas City, and the Greater Buffalo Opera.  Melissa’s European debut was as Siebel in Faust at the Deutsche Opera Berlin in 1988. On the concert stage she joined the National Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Philadelphia (for five consecutive seasons), Seattle, Vancouver, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Utah, Seattle, Memphis, and Puerto Rico, among others.

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