Jessica Vargas is a soprano born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She recently earned her Master of Music in Opera from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, where she studied under Dawn Shicoff. She also holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Music Education from the same institution, where she trained with Nancy Gustafson. Her credits with Opera Theater Rutgers include Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Ensemble), L’Orfeo (Euridice), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Peaseblossom), Escobar (Ensemble), Candide (Paquette), Dark Sisters (Almera), Carmen (Mercèdes), and several opera scenes programs. Additionally, Jessica had the privilege to perform as the soprano soloist in Haydn’s Schöpfungsmesse with the Kirkpatrick Choir. Outside of Classical performance, Jessica spent a semester as a vocalist with the Latin American Chamber Music Ensemble.

In addition to her performance experience, Jessica holds a New Jersey Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing in K-12 General/Choral Music. She has several years of experience conducting choral ensembles composed of that age group, as well as teaching voice privately to young children and teens.