Soprano, Lora Fabio, began her operatic career as an apprentice with the Dayton Opera where she was engaged to sing the role of Paquette in Candide. Literally at curtain time she was asked to change costumes and jump into the lead role of Cunegonde for a colleague who had fallen ill. Dayton Opera's conductor, Maestro Jeffrey Powell, said,
This led Dayton Opera to engage Ms. Fabio to sing Papagena in The Magic Flute, Valencienne in the Merry Widow, and Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore. Of her performance as Josephine, Dayton Daily News said,
Ms. Fabio extended her operatic repertoire with the Whitewater & Sorg Opera companies by singing all three heroines - Olympia, Giulietta and Antonia, in The Tales of Hoffmann to which the Middletown Journal responded,
Other leading roles she performed with the Whitewater & Sorg Opera companies include Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and Musetta in La Bohème. In 1996 Ms. Fabio moved to Munich, Germany with her husband and two sons where she was engaged to sing Musetta in La Bohème and Cunegonde in Candide with the Gärtnerplatz Opera.
In 2000 Ms. Fabio and family returned to the United States and chose Raleigh, North Carolina as their home where she has enjoyed many musical collaborations with North Carolina Master Chorale and Carolina Ballet Director of Music, Maestro Alfred E. Sturgis. Of Ms. Fabio Maestro Sturgis is quoted as saying,
Singing engagements under the direction of Maestro Sturgis include soprano soloist for all five productions of the North Carolina Master Chorale and Carolina Ballet's Carmina Burana in 2001, ’03, ’07, ’12, ’16 (all performed in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium) as well as Carmina Burana with the Tar River Orchestra and Choral Society of North Carolina. Additionally, she was featured in Carolina Ballet's Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy Tales singing the Rachmaninov Vocalise. In Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall with North Carolina Master Chorale and Symphony Orchestra Ms. Fabio was soprano soloist for the Berlioz Messe Solennella as well as for the commemorative 75th Anniversary Concert of the German Kristallnacht, A Child of Our Time, by Michael Tippet.
"On very short notice and no rehearsal, Lora knocked off the role with vigor and style and brought the audience to its feet."
"Lora Fabio sparkled in her first starring role with Dayton Opera. Fabio sang with the soul of a diva and acted with the heart of a playful comedienne."
"From Lora Fabio we were given a tour de force of grand giftedness."
“Lora Fabio possesses a glorious presence on stage, a rich and radiant soprano voice, keen dramatic insights and profound artistry.”
“The spiritual ‘Steal Away’, with soprano descant sung by Lora Fabio that sends chills up the spine, concluded Part I. All four soloists brought magnificent and knowing artistry to their roles. This was one of the most moving performances I have experienced in recent years.”
- Ken Hoover, Classical Voice North Carolina
Bio
Other highlights from Ms. Fabio's concert repertoire include the Verdi Requiem, Handel Messiah and Mozart Exsulate, jubilate. Ms. Fabio was awarded District Winner for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, WV. She was Regional Winner for the National Society of Arts and Letters Vocal Competition and First Place Winner of the National Teachers Society Vocal Competition. Lora Fabio holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Ohio University. From 2007 to 2017 Ms. Fabio was the Vocal I & II class voice instructor at Field of Dreams Performing Arts Conservatory. Since 2004 she has focused much of her time and energy on her private studio, Studio Fabio, in north Raleigh, where she maintains a full roster teaching voice and nurturing the vocal and artistic aspirations of many singers of all ages.