Butler Studio alumna and celebrated soprano Nicole Heaston has performed with HGO many times, including as Alice Ford in Falstaff (2023), the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro (2023), Liù in Turandot (2022), Mimì in La bohème (2018), Adina in The Elixir of Love (2016), Pamina in The Magic Flute (2015, 1997), Gilda in Rigoletto (2001), Zerlina in Don Giovanni (1999), Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro (1998), the title role in the world premiere of Michael Daugherty’s Jackie O(1997), Mrs. Hayes in Susannah (1996), and St. Settlement in Four Saints in Three Acts (1996). During the 2025-26 season, Heaston will reprise her role as Alice Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff with Los Angeles Opera, and sing Britten’s War Requiem with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España. In the 2024-25 season, she made her Lyric Opera of Chicago and Opera Philadelphia house debuts as Claire Devon in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s The Listeners, and sang the title role in Barber’s Vanessa with the National Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, she returned to HGO as a vocal soloist for Giving Voice at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. During the 2023-24 season, she bowed with Los Angeles Opera as Mary in Highway 1, USA, made her debut in the title role of Thaïs with Utah Opera, and appeared in a double bill of Errollyn Wallen’sDido’s Ghost and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque. During the 2022-23 season, she created the role of Claire Devon in the world premiere The Listeners at Norwegian Opera, returned to San Francisco Opera as Amor in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, and debuted with Philharmonia Baroque, appearing as Melissa in Handel’s Amadigi di Gaula.