Hailed as “captivating in her performance” (The Register-Guard, Eugene, OR) and “lovely… with a well-focused tone” (Opera News), Emily Evelyn Way is a lyric coloratura soprano based in the Pacific Northwest. This Season, Ms. Way looks forward to returning to Eugene Opera in their productions of Hansel and Gretel and Dark Sisters, Renegade Opera for a role debut as Rosalina in Die Fledermaus, and another role debut with Ping and Woof Opera as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel.  In the 2023-2024 season, Ms. Way had a notable turn as Zina in OrpheusPDX’s critically-lauded production of Dark Sisters. Other exciting performances in the 2023-2024 season include as the Soprano in She Loves You Back with Renegade Opera and as the Soprano Soloist in Carmina Burana with Portland Choir and Orchestra. Other recent roles include Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor in a joint production with Opera Bend and the Central Oregon Symphony, in recital at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mt. Angel, Oregon, and in concert with Ping and Woof Opera, singing works from L’Elisir d’Amore, Don Pasquale and La Traviata. Past roles include Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore (Opera Bend), Adele in Die Fledermaus (Eugene Opera), Laurie in The Tender Land, Héro in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Benedict (Eugene Opera), Beth in Little Women (Eugene Opera, Astoria Music Festival), Flora in The Turn of the Screw (Eugene Opera, Opera on the Avalon), and Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel (Opera on the Avalon). Ms. Way has also served as the cover for Violetta in La Traviata (Amore Opera) and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor (New York Opera Exchange). Other notable operatic roles include Königin der Nacht, Nanetta, and Zerlina, among others.

An active recitalist and a frequent presence on concert stages, she was recently seen as the Soprano Soloist in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in the Portland area. Notably, Ms. Way made her Mexican debut as the Soprano Soloist in Carmina Burana with the Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado in Alamos, Mexico, which was broadcast nationally. She has performed in concert with Music at the Gate in Queens, NY as the Soprano Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and Exsultate, Jubilate, as well as Bach’s Cantata No. 51. Other notable concerts include Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater at Immaculate Conception Church in Bronx, NY, and a recital series based at St. Martin and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Manhattan. Ms. Way recently formed a guitar/voice duo with her husband, Joshua Bavaro, and they can be seen performing frequently in the Portland area. Ms. Way holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from St. Olaf College and a Master of Music in Classical Voice from Manhattan School of Music.