Melissa Elsman, New England based Contralto, is known for having a rich warm sound, while still being flexible and fresh. Melissa performs a wide range of repertoire spanning from early to new music. She has a special interest in lesser known works, particularly those written by female composers. She is enthusiastic about making classical music accessible to all through performing and teaching. 

As guest artist and lecturer at her alma mater, Chicago College of Performing Arts, Melissa presented the lecture recital La Femme Vaillante: Reviving the Remarkable Musical Legacy of Augusta Holmès at Ganz Hall. She is currently touring this program alongside La Voix Éternelle: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Pauline Viardot and Forgotten Voices: The Courageous Women Behind the Music throughout New England. 

Melissa also co-produced and performed in Liebesgarten: A celebration of Robert and Clara Schumann’s life told in song and prose, a concert showcasing works by both composers which was performed at various venues in Illinois including the Elgin Art Showcase. 

Her operatic credits include the sassy duchess Fanette in Milton Granger’s Bluebeard’s Waiting Room at Roosevelt University, and the goddesses Venere and Pallade in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea at the Studebaker Theatre in Chicago. Melissa performed as a soloist with South Shore Opera Company's production of Opera at the Movies at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago, IL. M.L Rantala, classical music critic from Hyde Park Review, described her performance as “solid”. She has also appeared with companies such as Opera del West, South Shore Opera Company, Boston Opera Collaborative, The Song Set Chicago, New Brew Chicago, Opera on Tap Chicago, and Opera on Tap New Hampshire. 

Melissa’s new music projects include collaborations with New York-based composer Ellen Mandel, performing her songs with New Brew Chicago at Heartland Cafe’s Redline Tap; premieres of works by Felicity Mazur-Park and Patrick Greene in Seully Hall at Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music; participation in the 2020 virtual Festive Call for Scores created by Felicity Mazur-Park, featuring performances of winning compositions by Paul Ayres, Max Johnson, George Bromley, and Tamsin Jones; and performances of works by composer Frank Becker at St. Bernardine of Siena Church in Los Angeles, California.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from The Boston Conservatory and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts. She has also attended OperaWorks in California and Opera Viva! in Verona, Italy. In addition to her performance career, Melissa teaches private voice lessons at her home studio in Concord, NH, and serves on the voice faculty at Concord Community Music School and Shaker Road School.

When Melissa is not singing, you can find her hiking and going on long running adventures!