Hannah Shanefield
B i o g r a p h y
Soprano Hannah Shanefield’s fearless versatility as a performer, stage director, and creative leader is quickly establishing her as one of New England’s most sought-after artistic voices. She is the Executive Director of Boston Summer Opera, Artistic Director of NEMPAC's Opera on the Prado series, Community & Education Manager with Guerilla Opera, and a teaching artist with Boston Lyric Opera.
In 2026, Hannah looks forward to several solo debuts: Juliette (cover) in New Jersey Lyric Opera’s Roméo et Juliette, Violetta (cover) in the New Opera Company of Boston's La Traviata, Giunone in her first Monteverdi opera: Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in patria with Brooklyn Telemann Chamber Society, John Rutter’s Requiem with the Kearsarge Chorale, her first appearance at Mechanics Hall in an Italian Opera Gala, and Villa-Lobos’s Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 with Orchestra Without Borders. Additionally, she will premiere several new songs in White Snake Projects' Sing Out Strong: Revolutionary Voices and stage direct Boston Summer Opera's Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
Her operatic roles include Gilda (Rigoletto), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Suzel (L'amico Fritz), Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice), Diana (La Calisto), the titular role in The Cunning Little Vixen, Madame Herz (The Impresario), La Grande Prêtresse/Une Bérgère (Hippolyte et Aricie), Jenny (Rorem's Three Sisters Who Aren't Sisters), the Sandman/Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel), and Berta (Il Barbiere di Siviglia).
Jules Pilkus Photography
Photo by Liz Kiger
Photo by Mike Mejia
Jules Pilkus Photography
Equally as enthusiastic about concert works, Hannah has recently performed the soprano solos in J.S. Bach’s BWV 150 and BWV 196, Bernstein's Jeremiah Symphony and Chichester Psalms, Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem, Mozart's Requiem, Couperin's Trois Leçons de Ténèbres, Dubois's Seven Last Words of Christ and Amy Beach's Jephthah's Daughter.
Hannah's work as a stage director was recently recognized with a 2025 BroadwayWorld Boston nomination for Best Direction for Boston Summer Opera’s The Pirates of Penzance. Additional directing credits include MassOpera’s Alcina, The Opera Company’s immersive Die Fledermaus, Boston Summer Opera’s Don Giovanni, and West End Lyric’s double bill of Il Giuoco del Quadriglio and the Coffee Cantata.
A diverse repertory enthusiast, Hannah is passionate about championing new music and underrepresented artists. She frequently collaborates on concerts with organizations like White Snake Projects, Boston Festival Orchestra, NEMPAC Opera Project, Horizon Ensemble, Orchestra Without Borders, Boston Opera and Zarzuela, Boston Music Project, Analog by Choice, and Milton Community Concerts.
A native of suburban Philadelphia, Hannah holds her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance with a minor in Music History from the Hartt School.