Maria Brea is one of Venezuela’s most acclaimed opera singers. As a youngster, Brea learned folk music from her Cuatro-playing father. Today, the soprano is fast making a name for herself across North America. Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Opera (with ABT), Palais Garnier, David Koch Theater, David Geffen Hall are just some of the prestigious stages the Juilliard graduate has already graced, where she has stunned audiences with her dazzling range and intoxicatingly lush tones.

In the 2024–2025 season, Brea debuted with San Jose Opera as the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte and stars as Ana Maria in Héctor Armienta’s Zorro, both in Opera San Jose and with Arizona Opera. She also made her role debut as Violetta in a concert version of Verdi’s La Traviata in New York City, perform Mimì in La Bohème, and a Verdi and Verismo concert with the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra. She ended her 2024-2025 season singing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the UN Symphony Orchestra in the 80th anniversary celebration of the United Nations in New York City.

Brea has performed Micaëla in Carmen at the Hogfish Festival in Maine and Clomiri in Handel’s Imeneo with Opera Essentia in New York City and the 415 Baroque Ensemble. She gave a recital at the University of Notre Dame with pianist Dror Baitel and sang a Spanish adaptation of Handel’s Messiah with The Phoenix Symphony under Maestro Tito Muñoz. She returned to the role of Donna Anna with Vero Beach Opera and made her Canadian debut with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra performing Odaline de la Martínez’s Four Afro-Cuban Poems. She represented Venezuela in Operalia, sang Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Tucson Symphony under José Luis Gomez, and performed Messiah at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of New York under Kent Tritle and with the Indianapolis Symphony. Her symphonic credits include Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with both the Ann Arbor Symphony and the Boston Philharmonic under Benjamin Zander. She made her debut at the Schubert Club in a premiere by Reinaldo Moya with the Jasper Quartet and appeared in an all-Mozart program with the Amadeus Ensemble. She has sung Lucette in L’arbre Enchanté at the Hogfish Music Festival with Ryan McAdams, was a featured soloist with the American Spiritual Ensemble in New Orleans under Everett McCorvey, and debuted at The Metropolitan Opera in the American Ballet Theatre’s production of Like Water for Chocolate. Other notable performances include Norina in Don Pasquale with Barn Opera and Orff’s Carmina Burana at Carnegie Hall with the Cecilia Chorus of New York under Mark Shapiro.

Brea represented Venezuela in the 2022 Operalia Competition, was a finalist in both the 2022 Paris Opera Competition and 2021 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, and placed 6th in the Tenor Viñas Competition. She has received additional accolades from Opera Cultura, Gerda Lissner, Giulio Gari, and others.