Making her operatic debut at the age of 15 in the Los Angeles Opera's production of Journey to Cordoba, Danielle de Niese now joins the Mannes voice department as a lyric soprano in the Bachelor's degree program. The youngest vocal student ever to be accepted to the Tanglewood Young Artists Vocal Program, she is already receiving rave reviews for her performances. One review of a recent appearance with the Topanga Philharmonic hailed, "When you hear her, you know within seconds that this is going to be one of the great careers of all time!"
In addition to performing on Broadway as an ensemble member and understudy to Eponine in Les Misérables, Ms. de Niese has appeared in a multitude of concerts over the past several years. Her solo engagements include performances at the White House with Crossroads Chamber Orchestra, the San Juan Chamber Music Festival, the Palisades Symphony Young Artists Concert, Opera Buffs Inc. Second Performers Showcase with Metropolitan Opera Baritone Earl Patriarcho, Opera UCLA's An Evening of Opera Scenes, the Topanga Philharmonic Benefit Concert, and a gala event honoring Wallis Annenberg. Ms. de Niese has also received a long list of awards and honors, including a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for hosting a television special entitled AIDS & U, the first Jimmy Stewart Music Scholarship, first place in the Los Angeles Music Center's Spotlight Awards, the Opera Buffs Inc. Seraphim Award, first place in the 1997 Brentwood/Westwood Symphony Scholarship Competition, and voice scholarships from the National Arts Association and the Young Musicians Foundation.

Born in Australia to parents of Dutch and Sri Lankan heritage, Ms. de Niese began studying voice at the early age of eight. Two years later, she moved to Los Angeles, California with her family to continue her musical training at the Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences and the Colburn School of Performing Arts. As the third generation in her family to sing professionally, she stated, "Singing is the most natural thing for me and performing opera has always been a dream of mine. I look forward to having the opportunity to perform all over the world and to truly reach the audience with my music." Studying with Ruth Falcon, Ms. de Niese performed the roles of Susannah in the Mannes Opera Department's fall workshop production of The Marriage of Figaro and Corinna in the Mannes Camerata's presentation of Il Caffé d'Amore.