Hailed by Opera News for her “velvety mezzo”, Zoie Reams is a graduate of the prestigious Houston Grand Opera Butler Studio. She earned her Bachelor of Music at Lawrence University, and a Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University.
The 2026-2027 season features an exciting mix of repertoire for Ms. Reams. Following the success of the sold-out initial run at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Billy Corgan’s A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness tours in Europe this fall, with additional US major city tour dates in late spring/summer 2027. She also returns to the Lyric this season, joining their Lyric Under the Stars gala, and singing Fatima in Rhiannon Giddens’ Omar. Elsewhere, she embodies the titular Carmen with Madison Opera, sings a New Year’s Eve concert in Toronto, appears in concert for her first Verdi Requiem with the Santa Fe Symphony, and returns to the Washington National Cathedral for Handel’s Messiah.
During the previous season, Ms. Reams appeared with the Lyric Opera of Chicago twice, in the newly-commissioned A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness, an orchestrated performance of Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins’ seminal album, and in a return to the role of Neris in David MacVicar’s production of Medea. She also returned to the Canadian Opera Company as Maddalena in Rigoletto, and essayed the title role of Carmen with Piedmont Opera. Her varied concert calendar included appearances with: the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Siegrune in Act III of Die Walküre, under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel; the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony; the Northwest Florida Symphony for her first performances of Mahler’s 2nd Symphony; the Washington National Cathedral for Handel’s Messiah; Austin Opera for their 40th anniversary concert, and recitals with Art Song Chicago and Lawrence University. She concluded the season in a return to Cincinnati Opera, singing Zipporah in the world premiere of Kevin Day and Tifara Brown’s Lalovavi.
Ms. Reams made multiple returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago in the 2024-2025 season as well, opening the season in the role of Maddalena in Rigoletto and later appearing as Mother in Tesori/Thompson’s Blue. With the LA Phil, she appeared as part of Solange Knowles' Eldorado Ballroom, singing Julia Perry's Stabat Mater, with a further performance during the summer in Houston. Additional engagements included returns to Washington National Cathedral for Handel’s Messiah, and joining The Metropolitan Opera roster to cover Charmian in John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra.
Ms. Reams made her anticipated house debut at The Metropolitan Opera in 2021 as Lily in James Robinson’s acclaimed production of Porgy and Bess. Other highlights of recent seasons include: her debut at the Salzburg Festival in Sergei Prokofiev’s The Gambler as Doubtful Old Lady, her debut with Canadian Opera Company, as Neris in Medea, her house debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Flora in La Traviata followed by Ragonde in Le Comte Ory, conducted by Music Director Enrique Mazzola, and the Mezzo Soloist and Chief’s Daughter #2 in Proximity, a trilogy of new American operas curated by Renée Fleming and directed by Yuval Sharon; Mandane in Idaspe at the Quantum Theatre in Pittsburgh, created by Claire van Kampen and the Chatham Baroque Orchestra; the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd at Austin Opera; her return to Spoleto Festival for her role debut as Erika in Samuel Barber’s Vanessa; a house debut at Cincinnati Opera as Jane in the world premiere of Castor and Patience; Maddalena in Rigoletto with Theater Basel; performances with Des Moines Metro Opera as Margret in Wozzeck, Juno in Rameau’s Platée, and the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd; Opera Columbus as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly; the title role in Carmen at Opera Louisiane, and with Minnesota Opera a double bill as Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti and Autumn in Service Provider by Christopher Weiss, and Nancy in Albert Herring conducted by Dame Jane Glover.
A graduate of the Houston Grand Opera Butler Studio, her performances at HGO include the title role in Damien Sneed’s Marian Song, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music, the Third Secretary in John Adams’ Nixon in China, the Alto Winged Angel in the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s It’s A Wonderful Life, Cece in the world premiere of Laura Kaminsky’s Some Light Emerges, Dritte Magde in Elektra, Rosalia in West Side Story, and soloist in their second annual “Giving Voice” recital, co-hosted by tenor Lawrence Brownlee. Among her assignments as a Company Member with Minnesota Opera, she performed the title role of Carmen in a new production directed by Denyce Graves, and Dorothée in Joseph Bologne’s The Anonymous Lover.
On the concert stage, she has performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the National Symphony Orchestra, Bruckner’s Te Deum with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Tippett’s A Child of Our Time with the New York Choral Society at Carnegie Hall, Bernstein’s First Symphony, Jeremiah, with the Staatstheater Cottbus Philharmonic Orchestra, and Handel’s Messiah with the Washington National Cathedral, the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the combined choirs of Auburn University and the New Choral Society of Scarsdale, New York.
Ms. Reams’ awards include second place at Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum Competition (2016), first place winner of the Emerging Artist division of the Classical Singer Competition (2015), and second place winner of the Gulf Coast Region of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (2016).
