Gerodias: Awarded soprano, true diva

MANILA, Philippines - She may be the first to downplay it, but Maria Rachelle Gerodias is nothing less than a true diva even going by the strictest definition of the term. 

She is one of the most awarded Pinay sopranos around. Gerodias is a Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) and The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service awardee, has won first prize in the Civic Morning Musicals Vocal Competition in Syracuse, New York, and an Aliw Awards Hall of Fame for Best Female Classical Performer. When she lifts her voice to sing those oratorios, musicals and the kundiman, there is no one quite like her.

No wonder that the most celebrated local and international musicians have sought out and collaborated with Gerodias at one point or another. These include chamber concerts with Peter Schmidle of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as respected conductors Georg Tintner, Piero Gamba, Oscar Yatco, Ryan Cayabyab, Yaacov Bergman and Christoph Eschenbach. Mind you, Gerodias is the only Pinay to have worked with legendary opera diva Mirella Freni. 

Both local and international critics love Gerodias. The artist received high acclaim in her April 2008 European Debut at the Volksoper Wien in Vienna, Austria, where she sang the role of Liu in Puccini’s Turandot. She also had people on their feet in the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2009 New Year Concert, held at the National Theater of Sarajevo, under Uros Lajovic. At the Pacific Music Festival in Japan as Despina in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach, Gerodias was simply scintillating, demonstrating sheer brilliance. Her most recent operatic triumphs were the roles of Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the 2012 Daegu International Opera Festival in Korea — both amazing performances, as usual.

Needless to say, Gerodias is top choice for representative when the Philippines needs one in international festivals. Most recently, she represented the Philippines as a featured soloist of the China National Symphony Orchestra in Beijing for the 2009 Asia-Europe Culture and Arts Festival. She also performed with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for the World Expo in Shanghai as well as with Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra in 2012.

Despite everything she has achieved, the soprano delights in giving back to the academe and aspiring artists. Gerodias coaches singing at her alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music, where she studied under Prof. Gloria Colonel and graduated cum laude. She later received her Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance and Vocal Literature from the famed Eastman School of Music in New York, even as she holds a Professional Diploma in Operatic studies from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Gerodias is also a former member of the University of the Philippines College of Music Voice Faculty.

On Feb. 28, and on March 1 and 3, Gerodias is part of the production of the Singapore Lyric Opera’s Cosi Fan Tutte (opera by Mozart) to be held at the Esplanade Theater, Singapore. Gerodias is the only Filipino lead role in an international cast of opera singers there, and marks her return to the Lion City after her rendition of Kathy in The Student Prince, Micaëla in Carmen, Susanna in Le Nozzedi Figaro and Liu in Puccini’s Turandot.

Gerodias can be heard on several CD recordings made with renowned Filipino and international artists. Her CDs are available at the CCP gift shop. For orders, e-mail at or text 0918-9268470.

For details, visit rachellegerodias.com.