Praised by The New York Times for singing with “bell-like clarity and surpassing sweetness,” The New York Concert Review for “her sparkling coloratura perfection,” and in Opera News magazine, “the mellifluous soprano Penelope Shumate puts her lines across with sincerity and attractive lucidity,” her recent engagements include numerous soprano soloist appearances at Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York. She can be heard as the soprano soloist on “Messiah Refreshed” (Signum Records) recorded at historic Abbey Road Studios with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, England, and as the soprano soloist on “As the fireflies watched . . . chamber music of James Stephenson” (Klavier Records). She can also be heard in the title role of “Kassandra” (Parma/Navona Records), a new opera for which she also created the role in the world premiere at Opera in the Heights. She also presented the opera at the National Opera Association. 

She has performed with opera companies and orchestras across America including Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Roanoke, Des Moines Metro Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Annapolis Opera, Opéra Louisiane, Opera on the James, Muddy River Opera Company, Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, Oklahoma Philharmonic, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Heartland Festival Orchestra, Paducah Symphony Orchestra, Gateway Chamber Orchestra, Rapides Symphony Orchestra, Berkshire Choral Festival, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Kennett Symphony Orchestra, among many others. Her opera roles include Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore, Pamina and Papagena in The Magic Flute, Micaëla in Carmen, Laurie in The Tender Land, Violetta in La Traviata, Galatea in Acis and Galatea, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Musetta in La Bohème, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Hanna in The Merry Widow, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Miss Silverpeal in The Impressario, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, among many others. As a concert soloist, she has performed Messiah, The Creation, Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven), La Pasión según San Marcos, Carmina Burana, Magnificat (Bach and Vivaldi), Te Deum (Dvořák), Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 4 (Mahler), Requiem (Mozart, Verdi, Fauré, Rutter), Missa in Tempore Belli, Benedicite, Dona Nobis Pacem, Stabat Mater (Mealor), Ein Deutsches Requiem, Elijah, Theresienmesse, St. Nicolai Mass, Coronation Mass, and Dixit Dominus (Vivaldi), among others. She is an award winner with the Gerda Lissner Foundation, The American Prize, the Camille Coloratura Awards, the MacAllister Awards, the Marie E. Crump Vocal Arts Competition, the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera Vocal Competition, and the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, among others.  

As an opera stage director, her recent credits include Cendrillon by Viardot, Gallantry by Moore, and A Game of Chance by Barab, as well as opera scenes concerts “Baroque Blast,” “Operetta Opulence,” and “Belle Voci,” where she is the Director of Opera at Austin Peay State University and also serves on the Voice faculty. Visit www.penelopeshumate.com to learn more.