With a voice praised for its warmth and clarity, soprano Symone Harcum brings passion and versatility to roles spanning the operatic canon. Recent performances include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Virginia Opera, her house debut with Opera Philadelphia as Léontine in The Anonymous Lover, and recitals at universities across the country and at the National Gallery of Art. In the 2025-26 season, Symone looks forward to a return to favorite roles and a debut in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aïda.
A former Company Artist with Minnesota Opera, Symone has performed a number of roles there including Almirena (Rinaldo), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Léontine (The Anonymous Lover), and Micaëla (Carmen). She made her debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago as Sandra in the world premiere of Factotum, and has also appeared with Virginia Opera as La Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Clorinda (La Cenerentola), and with the Glimmerglass Festival as Micaëla. Additional credits include Bea in Three Decembers (Opera Maine), Krystyna Zywulska in Out of Darkness: Two Remain (Peabody Opera), Gertrude in Hansel und Gretel, and La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi. Symone is a first place winner of the Opera Ithaca Competition, the National Society of Arts and Letters-DC Voice Competition, and the Sylvia Green Voice Competition.
Before pursuing a full-time performance career, Symone worked as a choral director in Norfolk Public Schools. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Norfolk State University and a Master’s of Music from the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University in the studio of Denyce Graves and Margaret Baroody. Symone is currently on the voice faculty at Norfolk State University.