Shira Renee Thomas will sing the role of Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Opera Pacific in the 2008-2009 Season, and recently covered soprano Nicole Cabell in the role of Pamina in Die Zauberflote at the same company. She is also looking forward to making her mainstage debut with Opera Pacific in the role of Mrs. Hayes in Floyd’s Susannah this coming May. Ms. Thomas looks forward to performing the role of Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte with Opera Pacific's "Opera in the Park" presentation this summer, which will be directed by her husband, Dylan F. Thomas. This past season, she covered the role of Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette with Opera San Jose, and then performed that same role to critical acclaim with Center Stage Opera in June 2007. She enjoyed singing the lead role of Marie in the professional recording project of Philip Westin’s new American opera, Heartland, which is currently being sent to the largest opera houses across the nation.
Ms. Thomas has delighted audiences in many diverse leading roles including Violetta in La traviata, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Fanny in Rossini's La Cambiale di Matrimonio, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Adina in L'elisir d'amore, Papagena in The Magic Flute, and the dual characters Isabelle/Madeline in The Face on the Barroom Floor by Henry Mollicone. In 2004, Ms. Thomas debuted the character of Pieta in the world premiere, fully staged version of Eric Whitacre’s opera, Paradise Lost - Opera Electronica.
A review of Ms. Thomas' recent performance as Gounod's Juliette called the soprano "...a wonder of dramatic and lyric intensity", while another review of her Juliette stated that "Ms. Thomas has a magnificent lyrical voice which is rich and strong." In a recent concert with the Riverside County Philharmonic, the Press-Enterprise noted Ms. Thomas’ “perfect intonation, elegant control and artistic phrasingâ€. In review of her performance of Lucia, Allyson Parks of the North Valley Community News wrote, "Shira Renee Thomas gave a powerful and brilliant rendition . . . her voice was clear, beautiful, and strong. (She) brought down the house." A review of Ms. Thomas' performance of Violetta's Act I aria in concert with the Center Stage Opera Orchestra stated that she "stole the show with her stunning, rich, powerful voice".
Ms. Thomas has been the recipient of numerous awards including those sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera National Council L.A. District, Fé Bland Foundation (03, 06), Nancy Hooker Memorial Fund, Mu Phi Epsilon, Sigma Alpha Iota, California Women’s Chorus, and Society of Singers. In addition, she was awarded 1st prize in the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Vocal Solo Competition in North Wales. Ms. Thomas was also a finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition, Advanced Division.
