Mezzo-soprano Bridget Skaggs has swiftly gained the attention of Chicago audiences as “a compelling force” with an “agile, expressive voice” (Chicago Classical Review) equally at home in opera, art song, and oratorio.  Critics have noted the way she “lights up the scene” (Chicago Reader) in performances with Chicago Fringe Opera, where she will sing Zosia in Jake Heggie’s Two Remain this season. Past seasons with CFO include the role debut of Austin in the world-premiere production of Rossa Crean's The Great God Pan in 2018, and Christopher Cerrone's Naomi Songs in Love Wounds, an evening-length multidisciplinary exploration of the composer's work, in 2019.

Bridget is increasingly recognized for her excellence in the musical and movement styles of Baroque repertoire, having performed Giunone in Cavalli's La Didone with Haymarket Summer Opera Program in 2018, Bradamante in Handel's Alcina with Chicago Vocal Arts Consortium in 2019, and numerous Bach cantatas as a Festival Artist at the Baroque on Beaver Island Festival (MI) in summers 2014 and 2015.

Nationally, Bridget has appeared as the Fox in Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen with Opera Steamboat, and Charlotte in Sondheim's A Little Night Music with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, where she served as Young Artist.  Internationally, she has toured Bruckner's Te Deum as alto soloist with Blue Lake International Symphony.  Her vast concert and oratorio repertoire includes the Ravel Shéhérezade, Duruflé Requiem, Vivaldi Gloria, Handel Messiah, and Bach Magnificat.

A passionate advocate for art song, Skaggs is a founding member of vocal chamber quartet Fourth Coast Ensemble, and was recently named Vocal Arts Associate for Chicago Fringe Opera. She has twice been awarded the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago's vocal chamber fellowship.  This season she records music by composer Lori Laitman, and has recorded the American premiere of Paul Abraham's 1932 jazz operetta Ball at the Savoy for future release.  A native of Southlake, Texas, Bridget received her education at Oklahoma City University's Wanda L. Bass School of Music, and resides in Chicago.

Short Bio

Mezzo-soprano Bridget Skaggs has swiftly gained the attention of Chicago audiences as “a compelling force” with an “agile, expressive voice” (Chicago Classical Review) equally at home in opera, art song, and oratorio. This season she sings Zosia in Two Remain with Chicago Fringe Opera, where she also debuted the role of Austin in The Great God Pan, and sang the song cycle Naomi Songs in Love Wounds. Bridget is increasingly recognized for her excellence in Baroque repertoire, having performed Giunone in Cavalli's La Didone with Haymarket Summer Opera Program and Bradamante in Handel's Alcina with Chicago Vocal Arts Consortium. A passionate advocate for art song, Skaggs is a founding member of vocal quartet Fourth Coast Ensemble. She will record this year in music by composer Lori Laitman, and has recorded the American premiere of Paul Abraham's jazz operetta Ball at the Savoy for future release.