Jeanai Ratcliffe

In addition to being an Opera On Tap regular, Jeanai Ratcliffe has performed in operas and musicals around the United States and in Europe. Most recently, this summer Jeanai was in Las Palmas, Spain performing with Campus Opera and she was a featured soloist in Opera Providence’s concert series. Locally, her performance highlights include Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment with Opera Company of the Highlands, Musetta in La Bohème with Bronx Opera; Beauty in Beauty and the Beast with DiCapo Opera, Caresse Decolletage in the world premiere of The Brazilian with Manhattan Opera Theatre, The Gondoliers with the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players at City Center, Jekyll and Hyde with Gateway Playhouse and Der Zwerg with American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall.

Jeanai has been seen on the road as Gretel in New York City Opera’s tour of Hänsel and Gretel and also in Boston Lyric Opera’s tour of Daughter of the Regiment, covering Marie and performing the roles of the Duchess and Hortense. Jeanai made her Ravinia Festival debut in Chicago, as the coloratura soprano soloist, under the baton of20Paul Gemignani, in Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle with Audra McDonald and Patty LuPone.

Jeanai’s other roles performed include Cunegonde in Candide, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Rose and Mae Jones in Street Scene, Laetitia in The Old Maid and the Thief, Queen of the Night/ Papagena in The Magic Flute, Despina in Cosi fan tutte, Gretchen in Lortzing's Der Wildschütz and Ann Putnam in The Crucible. Jeanai won1st place in the Florida Suncoast Opera competition in 2004 and 2nd place in the National Opera Association’s competition in 2000. Jeanai was also a Fulbright finalist to France in 2000. She is a member of Actors’ Equity and AGMA. Jeanai received her MM from Manhattan School of Music and her BM with a minor in Foreign Language from S.M.U. She is currently a student of Benita Valente.