“Sunny”, “supple” and “soaring” Boston-based soprano Carley DeFranco is committed to giving passionate performances that inspire her community. Her upcoming projects include Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and Mahler 4 with Symphony NH, La Bonne Chanson with players from Emmanuel Music, appearances with Boston Lyric Opera in their Street Stage and Boston Public Library programming, and concerts of German baroque music with Musicians of the Old Post Road.

Carley’s favorite onstage moments have been those that push beyond the assumed classical music experience into something adventurous. Some of these notable moments include a fully staged Les Illuminations (Britten) with Emmanuel Music and Urbanity Dance choreographed by Shura Baryshnikov, the Angel in a film version of La Resurrezione (Handel), singing and dancing onsta as a siren in Sirènes (Debussy) with Lorelei Ensemble and Boston Ballet, the premiere of Lost Birds (Christopher Tin) with VOCES 8, a site-specific staging of Frauenliebe und Leben with Bost Opera Collaborative and the premiere of Earth Symphony (Jake Runestad) with True Concord Voices & Orchestra.

Her 2023-24 season brought a variety of collaborations with chamber, choral and symphonic ensembles, including performances with Worcester Chorus (Handel Messiah), Lexington Symphony (Beethoven 9), Back Bay Chorale (Rossini Giunone), Falmouth Chorale (Mozart Requiem), Sarasa Ensemble (selections from the Bolivian Mission baroque), Monadnock Music (song recital with piano and cello), and her German debut at Bachfest Leipzig with Emmanuel Music. Carley also enjoys performing regularly as a chorister with Handel & Haydn Society, Upper Valley Baroque, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, Boston Lyric Opera Chorus and Emmanuel Music.

Carley believes deeply in the power of community and has roared operatic hits at the Roslindale Holiday Wander promoting small businesses, sung from the back of a pick-up truck with Mass Opera (featured in Opera America), led pre and post-concert panels with Boston Opera Collaborative, hosted private Zoom concerts with Emmanuel Music’s Musical Conversations initiative and given many tailored programs at birthday parties, wedding celebrations, memorial services and holiday affairs. In 2024, Carley was awarded the Boston Lyric Opera Shrestinian Award, an annual honor given to a BLO Chorus member that exhibits exemplary artistry, collaborative grace and leadership. This year, Carley founded DeFranco Music LLC, a music studio with ten teachers that partners with local schools to provide after-school music lessons. She is an Instructor of Voice with Harvard University’s Holden Voice Program and offers private lessons (in-person or online) from her home studio.