Erika Vasallo is an expressive, multifaceted Cuban-American mezzo-soprano born and raised in Miami, Florida. As a dynamic singing actor, she brings a diverse range of characters to life with passion and precision. Whether Erika is delving into the dramatic depths of opera repertoire or soaring through the rich textures of concert and oratorio works, her versatility shines through. A recent Studio Artist with Opera Orlando, Erika has also performed with Opera Memphis, Finger Lakes Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Taconic Opera, Magic City Opera, Orchestra Miami, Gran Teatro Nacional de la Habana, Opera Fusion, and several other companies as well.
This summer, Erika is thrilled to be part of her very first Bastille Day celebration event and she's excited to sing the timeless music of Edith Piaf for the University Club of Winter Park. She is also elated to work with Opera Orlando again for their Opera by the Glass concert at Judson's Live in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
During the 2024/25 season, Erika joined Opera Orlando’s Studio Artist program. She was featured in the Orlando premiere of Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín. Erika then made her company and role debut as an Apparition in Verdi’s Macbeth. She was highlighted as a principal artist, singing the role of Judy in the world premiere of Spicer Carr and Rose Freeman’s Four Lost Santas. This comic Christmas opera was paired with Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, which Erika sang the role of the Mother. To close out the holiday season, she debuted as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Masterworks Chorus of the Palm Beaches. As part of the 2025 Opera Orlando season, Erika portrayed the roles of Dorothée in Massenet’s Cendrillon, the Evil Stepmother in an abridged touring production of Massenet’s Cinderella, Kätchen in Massenet’s Werther, and Ursula in Berlioz’s Beatrice and Benedict. She also covered the roles of Prince Charmant in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther, and Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.
Last season, Erika returned as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the New Presbyterian Church Concert Series and debuted as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Civic Chorale of Greater Miami. She then made her Magic City Opera debut as a soloist in their Valentine’s themed concert. In March, Erika sang the role of Grandma and Mother in Seymour Barab’s operatic version with a Miami Spanglish twist of the classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood, with Orchestra Miami. She then rejoined Orchestra Miami for another fantastic outreach event, The Carnegie Hall Link Up Concert, where more than 3,500 public school students in grades 3-5 participated in the concert.
In her 22/23 season, Erika returned as a Tomita Young Artist with Finger Lakes Opera and sang the roles of Narrator and Cat in John Davies’ Pinocchio. She then returned as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Treasure Coast Community Singers and Chamber Orchestra. Erika also debuted as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the New Presbyterian Church Concert Series. In the spring, she was a Handorf Company Artist with Opera Memphis, where she was showcased throughout Memphis in a variety of performances for their “30 Days of Opera” program. While working with Opera Memphis, she also performed the role of Julia Child in Hoiby’s Bon Appétit! and the role of Toledo in Redler and Dye’s The Falling and the Rising. Erika then reprised the role of Julia Child with Orchestra Miami.
Erika’s 2021-2022 highlights included singing as a soloist in the orchestral world premiere of Ernesto Lecuona’s Rumba-Rhapsody along with the FIU Symphony Orchestra, pianist Tomas Tirino, the FIU Concert Choir, Encantus Voices, and Miami Children’s Chorus. She then debuted the role of Luisa in the romantic zarzuela Luisa Fernanda with La Zarzuela, Inc. Additionally, Erika was a soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria and Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the Treasure Coast Community Singers and Chamber Orchestra. She then sang in the Fledermaus Champagne Trio with Orchestra Miami in their New Year’s Eve Celebration Concert. In 2022, She sang the roles of La Zia Principessa and La Frugola in a double bill of Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Il tabarro with Taconic Opera, and Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte with Finger Lakes Opera.
Other prior credits include the roles of La Zia Principessa and Zita in a double bill of Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi with Opera Fusion, the role of Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and the role of Third Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with Taconic Opera, Prince Orlofsky in J. Strauss’ Die Fledermaus and the role of Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte in the Emerging Artists Project series of Opera Fusion, and Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Atelier. She counts among her highest honors singing for the legendary opera soprano, Madame Virginia Zeani, at her 88th birthday celebration.
Erika was a 2024 semi-finalist in The Georgia Symphony Orchestra’s Beethoven 9 Vocal Competition. She was a 2023 district round competitor in The Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition. Erika was a second round finalist in the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition and semi-finalist in the Camerata Bardi International Vocal Competition. Other awards include first place winner in the Florida Gold Coast NATS Competition, regional winner in the Classical Singers Vocal Competition, and regional finalist in the New York Lyric Opera National Vocal Competition.
Erika graduated with her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Florida/New World School of the Arts College Division. She then received her Master of Music degree in vocal performance from Florida International University.