Young American soprano, Athena Mertes, is quickly establishing herself as one of our generation’s most promising classical singers with an “extraordinary voice” [Burbank Philharmonic], Starlight Bowl. She received her B.M. and M.M. in Vocal Performance at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where she was a student of Dr. Alfonse Anderson. She attended the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) program in Graz, Austria and sang with the Lexington Opera Outreach Program and Opera Las Vegas. Mertes’ opera and concert credits include Morgana (Alcina), Musetta (La Bohème), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Abigail (The Crucible), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Little Red (Little Red’s Most Unusual Day) and soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah and Honegger’s King David. She has recently performed with the Burbank Philharmonic, Las Vegas Philharmonic and Henderson Symphony.

In addition to her success as an opera and concert performer, Mertes has garnered several awards in a very short time. Among these are 1st place in the Dean Allen Scholarship Competition, winner of the Greek Women’s University Club National Competition, Classical Singer Convention AFE winner, 1st place (District Winner) for the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award (NATSAA), the Metropolitan Opera National Council Encouragement Award, finalist in the Hennings-Fischer Young Artist Competition and 1st place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition. She has also sung in master classes with Joan Dornemann, Gabriele Lechner and Luana DeVol.