I learned very early in life that: ‘Without a song, the day would never end; without a song, a man ain’t got a friend; without a song, the road would never bend - without a song.' So I keep singing a song.
— Elvis Presley
About Sigal
Soprano Sigal Chen was born in Israel into a musically eclectic family. Her father is an accomplished singer, instrumentalist, songwriter, arranger, and a cantor. Born to a family with Sephardic, North-African and Middle Eastern Jewish roots, Sigal was exposed from an early age to mostly Sephardic and Middle-Eastern melodies, but also to Israeli folk songs, pop and Rock n’ Roll music. One of her first memories is being on stage with her father singing and playing the tambourine. She always wanted to pursue singing and performing on stage. In high school, she was a music and theater major and participated in various plays and concerts.
After high school, she continued her studies at the Jerusalem Academy of Music & Dance, where she also participated in the opera studio. As a member of the Academy’s Opera Studio, Ms. Chen performed in various scenes the roles of Adele in Die Fledermaus, Frau Fluth in Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, First Nymph in Rusalka, Naide in Ariadne auf Naxos, and the title role in Ponchielli’s Lina. She then performed in the world premiere of the opera Thérèse Raquin by composer Aharon Harlap in the role of Suzanne, performed at the Israel Music Festival with the Jerusalem orchestra conducted by the composer. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in voice (B.MUS) and moved to New York City.
Being dedicated to her Jewish community, Sigal frequently sings solo and duet recitals in both New York and Israel, encompassing a broad range of styles, including opera, operetta, Lieder, musical theater, popular and Jewish (Yiddish, Ladino and Hebrew) music.
She graduated with a Masters degree in Music Education (M.A.T) from CUNY Lehman College, NY and received the John Corigliano scholarship twice. She was the soprano section leader of the Lehman College chorus and was a featured soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
She performed with different opera companies such as the New York Lyric Opera Theatre (Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Suor Genovieffa and Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica), New York Opera Forum (Semiramide, Maria Stuarda, Mimi in La bohème), Manhattan Opera Studio (Pamina, Susanna and Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro), and Miami Music Festival (Contessa). She participated in a gala concert in Carnegie Hall and performed in venues such as Bruno Walter Auditorium in Lincoln Center and Symphony Space. She performed the role of Fiordiligi in the International Music Festival in Varna, Bulgaria and is scheduled to perform the role of Sor/Madre Andrea in Carla Lucero’s Juana with Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble in NYC.
In addition to being a performer, Sigal is a dedicated voice teacher, experienced and knowledgeable in different styles, cultures and approaches of singing. She loves and enjoys sharing her skills and helping others discover and develop their talent. During her graduate studies at Lehman College, she did her student teaching internship at the Celia Cruz Performing Arts High School, teaching vocal skills and preparing students for chorus performances and competitions.
Sigal taught music in Salanter Akiba of Riverdale (S.A.R) Academy in NY, where she introduced early childhood students to music methodologies, created a musical theater program as part of the “Voice & Choice” major, where elementary grade students learned to develop their singing and acting skills, with culminating performances of scenes from various Broadway shows at the end of each semester and at the annual Arts Festival. Being a native Israeli, Sigal implemented Hebrew programs to teach students Israeli culture and Jewish tradition utilizing both music and language as educational tools. Sigal also led a Blues, Rock and Pop course for the upper grades and prepared students for the “Link Up” program, where they were guided through a yearlong exploration of orchestral and vocal repertoire and music making. At the end of the year, students performed with an orchestra in Carnegie Hall.
Singing and performing feeds Sigal’s soul and she finds the stage providing a special outlet for creativity and freedom to express the complexities of human emotion and inner world. She plans to expand her work in new countries, to connect with new colleagues, meet new friends and connect with different communities. Besides her love and passion for singing and music, Sigal has a deep love for children, animals, yoga, dance, travel and Rock n’ Roll.