Currently in her first season with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, mezzo-soprano Shabnam Kalbasi made her solo debut in Israel in Egypt in February. She has received awards from the George London Foundation, Metropolitan Opera's National Council Auditions, Palm Springs Opera Guild, and the Vocal Arts D.C. Competition. Shabnam has performed at The Broad Stage Concert Series, Venture Opera, Opera Memphis, and made her recital debut at the Kennedy Center. She sang Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with Prelude to Performance and debuted the role of “Union Organizer” in the world premiere of Juliet Palmer's Sweat at Brooklyn's National Sawdust. A two-season Apprentice Artist and Canning Memorial Award recipient with Santa Fe Opera, Shabnam sang Contessa Ceprano in Rigoletto and Olivia in Jennifer Higdon's Grammy-nominated, Cold Mountain. Ms. Kalbasi has also appeared as a soloist in the Los Angeles Bach Festival, was a Stern Fellow at SongFest, and sang several seasons with LA Opera’s outreach program.