Known for having a voice that has been called “a force of nature sound with natural ease” (Parterre Box) and having a “rich, warm, and open tone” (Wooten | OperaWire), Ariel Emma has been making her way through the opera circuit with a smile and a song to sing.

To start her 2024-2025 season, Ariel has been engaged with Fresco Opera to be a soloist in their Opera at Olbrich series to present standard operatic repertoire including Summertime by Gershwin.

Following her appearance with Fresco Opera, Ariel was invited to make her role and company debut with Ouroboros Opera in the rarely produced The Order of the Virtues by Hildegard von Bingen. She portrayed the role of Victory under the baton of Alexis Enyart and the directional guidance of Rose Freeman.

Afterwards, Ariel headed up to New York City for the privilege to work with Killer Queen Opera as a part of their cabaret series. In a recital entitled SPEECHLESS, she presented works by Mahler and Rachmaninov in an intimate and personable setting.

To conclude her fall portion of her 2024-2025 season, Ariel made her role and company debut with Great Lakes Operetta in their production of The Magic Knight. She portrayed the role of Ortrud and was a soprano soloist as a part of their double bill of The Magic Knigh and a concert of Victor Herbert’s greatest hits.

Starting off 2025, Ariel Emma will be making her role debut as Edith in Pirates of Penzance with Great Lakes Operetta for their 2025 kick off. Following, this role debut, Ariel is scheduled to make another role debut along with a company debut. She will be performing the titular role in Suor Angelica with the Valkyrie Ensemble. Following that, she has the honor of making another role and company debut! This time, she will be joining Hub City Opera and Dance for their production of The Cook-Off portraying the role of Kendra Smith.

During the 2023-2024 season, she made her Third Eye Theatre Ensemble debut as Magda in The Consul this fall. Critics raved about her performance and noted how she possessed a “warm, rich, powerful voice, capable of great subtlety” (Wisniewski | New City Stage) while taking on the lead role.

Following her powerful performance in Chicago, Ariel headed down to Florida to join St. Petersburg Opera as a Studio artist. She made her company and role debut portraying the Blue Lady in their production of Pinocchio. She then returned to Lakeland Opera for their winter show of Madama Butterfly. During this time, she covered the title role (Cio-Cio San) and the role of Kate Pinkerton.

Additionally, Ariel took the stage as Enyo in the contemporary comedic opera entitled We’ve Got Our Eye on You with Thompson Street Opera in Chicago’s north side.

During the summer, Ariel was invited to joinCentral City Opera’s illustrious young artist program as an Apprentice Artist. During her time, she covered the role of Minnie in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West and made her role and company debut as the 1st Nursemaid in Kurt Weil’s Street Scene.

Ariel Emma started the 2022-2023 season with a return to Chicago Opera Theater where she took part of the ensemble in the rarely performed King Roger by Szymanowski. At the start of the new year, she headed down to Florida to join a wonderful production of Cavalleria Rusticana with Lakeland Opera. It was there that she was able to cover and sing her first Santuzza. Afterwards, she headed to NYC where she was able to perform in another world premiere. Working with Overtone Industries, Ariel was able to join in their production of ICELAND by portraying the role of SUN. Additionally, she was able to work with Bronx Opera in their production of Dialogues of the Carmelites where she covered and performed the role of Madame de Croissy. Afterwards, she joined the little OPERA theater NY in their double bill of Highway 1, U.S.A. and Down in the Valley where she covered the role of Mary in Highway 1, U.S.A.

Immediately after her New York minute, she joined Glow Lyric Theatre in their production of A Handmaid’s Tale where she performed the role of Moira. This was a momentous occasion as she became the first Caribbean-American singer to portray the role in the states.

Finishing off the season, she worked with Fresco Opera during their Opera at Olbrich Concert Series as a featured soloist. She presented pieces centralizing in Mozart, including the famous “Sull’aria” from Le nozze di Figaro.

Staying busy during the 2021- 2022 season, Ariel had many different debuts and engagements. Starting the season in Vermont, Ariel headed to Opera Company Middlebury to join their Young Artist Program. While there, she participated in Opera Company Middlebury's opera Maid of Orleans by Tchaikovsky. In this process she covered the roles of Joan and Agnes while also doing scenes from Bellini's Norma and Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro.

​Following shortly after, she was seen at Sarasota Opera for a second season as an Apprentice Artist in their 2022 Winter Festival. In addition to being in the chorus for all four of the operas for the festival (Les pêcheurs de perles, Tosca, La fille du régiment, and Attila), she also presented scenes from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte (Fiordiligi), Ponchielli's La Gioconda (Gioconda), and Puccini's Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio San).

Additionally, she presented the world premiere of Quamino’s Map with Chicago Opera Theater and had the privilege of covering the role of Elizabeth Alumond.

Wrapping up the season, Ariel returned to Opera Steamboat in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, as a Resident Artist. While she was there, she covered the role of Mimi in their mainstage production of Puccini's La boheme and performed the role of Jenny from the late Stephen Sondheim's Company. She took on the roles of Portia Mansfield, Margery Mansfield, and America Marshall in a brand new commissioned opera workshop entitled Welcome to the Madness.

She obtained her M.A. in Music for Vocal Performance at CSU East Bay and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music at the University of Tampa under Jerald Reynolds (1934-2023).

​Ariel currently studies with internationally renowned soprano Alexandra Loutsion.