Paula Goodman Wilder Soprano

Soprano Paula Goodman Wilder, a busy performer in opera and concert, made her first foray into Wagner this Spring as Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer for West Bay Opera, (May 2008), after a string of productions of Fanciulla del West in which she starred as Minnie, took her towards the dramatic repertoire.Ms. Wilder first performed the role of Minnie for Opera Santa Barbara’s “Opera in Bluejeans concert”, then subsequently for Berkeley Opera (in English) (July 2006), and a year later, for Rimrock Opera, whose artistic director, Doug Nagel, mounted the production especially for her (October 2007).

Other recent experiences include her German début as Leonora in Il Trovatore, in concert with the Cottbuser Staatstheater orchestra in the Berlin Konzerthaus, Leo Siberski conducting (March 2006) ; Manon in Manon Lescaut for West Bay Opera (February 2006); Lady Macbeth for Berkeley Opera (May 2005); Tatyana in Eugene Onegin with North Bay Opera, (March 2007) and Hanna Glavari for Opera Fresca’s Merry Widow (April 2005).

Most recent symphonic appearances include Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer with the Symphony of the Redwoods (April 2008), Strauss’ Four Last Songs with the Palo Alto Philharmonic (February 2008), and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Auburn Symphony in the Mondavi Center (April 2007).

Ms. Wilder is also frequently featured as soloist at the Mendocino Music Festival where she has performed the Verdi Messa da Requiem, Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem, and Bernstein’s “Jeremiah” Symphony. For the Mendocino Music Festival she has also participated in many of Susan Waterfall’s chamber music events, performing: Ravel (Trois Chansons de Mallarmé), Stravinski (Three Japanese Songs), and songs of Brahms, and Janacek

Ms. Wilder was recently accepted by Evelyn Lear into the Emerging Singers Program of the Wagner Society of Washington DC, and looks forward to exploring more Wagner.

A native of Berkeley, Ms. Wilder holds bachelors and masters degrees in French Literature from UC Berkeley, and attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in Vocal Performance.