Clarissa Christina Smith is a Tucson native, accomplished soprano, and passionate educator whose career blends operatic excellence with her mariachi heritage. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance with a minor in Ethnomusicology at the University of Arizona under the mentorship of Dr. Kristin Dauphinais.

Clarissa has established herself as a versatile and compelling performer, appearing in leading roles such as La Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica), Emily Webb (Our Town), and the Princess (La forêt bleue). Internationally, she has sung Fiordiligi at the Berlin Opera Academy and performed Puccini’s Suor Angelica at the Varna International Music Academy. As a principal singer with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus, she continues to bring powerful performances to audiences in her hometown.

Her artistry has been recognized through numerous awards, including first-place honors in the President’s Concerto Competition, the Marguerite Ough Competition, the Amelia Rieman Competition, and the Opera Guild of Southern Arizona’s prestigious “Quest for the Best.”

Equally devoted to arts education, Clarissa serves as a teaching artist with Arizona Opera’s youth outreach program, OperaTunity, performing across the state to introduce young audiences to opera. She is also a voice instructor at the Operachi School of Music, where she mentors students in both operatic technique and mariachi traditions, reflecting her belief that classical and folkloric music can coexist in powerful and meaningful ways.

Through her work as a performer, educator, and scholar, Clarissa is committed to enriching her community and celebrating her cultural heritage. By uniting operatic excellence with mariachi traditions, she strives to make classical music accessible, relevant, and inspiring for diverse audiences while nurturing the next generation of artists.