Lori Schulman grew up in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and currently resides in Santa Cruz, California. A versatile lyric-coloratura soprano, Lori has performed leading roles in both opera and musical theater to critical acclaim. Her most recent role was Adele in Die Fledermaus with the Santa Cruz Opera Project, where she also serves as co-founder. Other favorite roles include Andrea/Archangel Michael in Jerry Springer: The Opera, Musetta in La Bohème, Cunegonde in Candide, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Kathy in Company, Laurey in Oklahoma, Cosette in Les Misérables, Papagena in The Manga Flute, Ilia in Idomeneo, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, and Amore in La Didone.
As a frequent performer in the Monterey Bay area, Lori has appeared as a concert soloist in works such as Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Stravinsky’s Pastorale, Respighi’s Lauda per la Natività del Signore, Handel’s Messiah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Mendelssohn’s Hör mein Bitten, and O’Regan’s The Ecstasies Above, among others. Most recently, she performed Selections from Elvis Costello’s Juliet Letters and Alex Temple’s Behind the Wallpaper with the Santa Cruz Chamber Players. Lori is regularly featured as a soloist with Ensemble Monterey Chamber Orchestra, where she has taken on challenging and dramatic works, including David Del Tredici’s Dracula, Handel’s Laudate Pueri Dominum, and Joseph Schwantner’s Sparrows.
In addition to her concert and stage work, Lori is an active recitalist and frequently performs at private events throughout the Santa Cruz area. A graduate of San Jose State University, Lori earned her B.M. in Vocal Performance with honors and won First Place in the San Jose Opera Guild Scholarship Competition and Second Place in the San Jose Music Study Club Competition.
In 2022, Lori co-founded the Santa Cruz Opera Project, driven by a mission to make opera accessible to all, regardless of their background or familiarity with the art form. She also shares her passion for music as a private voice teacher, nurturing the next generation of talent. When not performing or teaching, Lori enjoys spending time with her two amazing young children.
“The beautiful and exuberant Schulman suffuses her portrayal of Cunegonde with a complete life force. With bouncing blond curls and the voice of an angel, Schulman bursts from scene to scene as she experiences the highs of privilege and the lows of physical torment.” -Christina Wise, The Press Banner
“Lori Schulman perfectly plays his love interest, Cunegonde, her beautiful coloratura voice soaring. Schulman’s rendition of “Glitter and be Gay” is one of the show’s highlights.” -Mindy Pedlar, TPG Online Daily
“Lori Schulman, Santa Cruz coloratura soprano, was the soloist, spinning out Handel’s copious melismas with fluid clarity and exquisite phrasing.” -Performing Arts Monterey Bay
“Lori Schulman has a soprano voice as gorgeous as any you’re likely to hear anywhere on the Monterey Peninsula. Her Laurey is a tiny, beautiful and feisty farm girl anybody would find it hard not to fall for.” -Performing Arts Monterey Bay
“Lori Schulman’s Cosette is powerful, and perhaps reawakens our desire to believe in love at first sight.” -Monterey Herald
“Soprano Lori Schulman delivered an ideal Cosette—youthful and lovely—and she sang with a voice to match.” -Performing Arts Monterey Bay
“Lori Schulman contributed a sweet-toned turn in the expanded role of Papagena.” -SF Gate
“She stole the show with her clear and lyrical tone and effortless singing of the 15 stanzas of Haiku poems… Schulman exudes mastery over her instrument as shown in the difficulty of this piece (Sparrows). Without much melodic contrast between stanzas, Schulman sang with a lyrical and ethereal quality.” -Performing Arts Monterey Bay