Nerissa
De Juan

SOPRANO

About

First Prize Winner of the 2021 National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) Senior Voice Category, Nerissa De Juan has established herself as one of the Philippines’ most promising classical performers. A versatile soprano celebrated for her artistry in operatic and classical performance, she is a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance, where she trained under renowned Filipino classical singers and educators—namely Ligaya Quinitio, Gloria Dizon Coronel, Lemuel Dela Cruz, and Randy Gilongo. Her artistry has earned her numerous distinctions, including the OPPA (Original Pilipino Performing Arts) Foundation Scholarship Grant (2017–2021) and the UST Benavides Outstanding Achievement Award (2022).At just 19, Nerissa made her professional operatic debut as *Maria Clara" in Felipe Padilla De Leon’s Noli Me Tangere: The Opera during its 60th‑anniversary production in 2017 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines—a role she reprised in 2019. Since then, she has portrayed a wide range of characters, including La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), Mme. Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor), and Susanna/Berta in Figaro! Figaro!! — an abridged rendition of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia and Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.In April 2025, she made her international operatic debut as Micaëla in Singapore Lyric Opera’s production of Bizet’s Carmen. Later that year, she appeared in concert as Paloma in Barbieri’s El barberillo de Lavapiés in Manila, and in September 2025 she took on the demanding role of Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Beyond her lead roles, Nerissa has enriched productions through her ensemble and contemporary work, appearing in Puccini’s Le Villi, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, and Pasipo’s Filipino adaptation of West Side Story as Anita.As an active soloist, she has collaborated with the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, UST Symphony Orchestra, ABS‑CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, Manila Symphony Orchestra, and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. With the latter, she performed at Asia Orchestra Week 2018 in Tokyo, Japan, and at Sunsets at Makiling. She has also been featured in concerts organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Manila Pianos Artist Series, and the National Parks Development Committee’s Concert at the Park and Paco Park Presents.Internationally, Nerissa has represented the Philippines in The Winner’s Concert in Xiamen, China, as part of the NAMCYA delegation. She was a finalist in the 1st Veronica Villarroel International Voice Festival (2020) and a nominee for Best Female Classical Performer at the 2020 Aliw Awards. She has further refined her artistry through masterclasses with esteemed artists, including Anna Migallos, Nelly Miricioiu‑Kirk, Susan Waters, Arthur Espiritu, Fabio Armiliato, Lorena Zaccaria, Mariano Panico, John Florencio, and Ramon Grau. Nerissa is a founding member of the Manila Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Tinig Kayumanggi, and an active member of the Pasipo Vocal Ensemble/Opera Company.From October 2025 to June 2026, she studied as an exchange student in Vocal Performance at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) under the guidance of Peter Edelmann, supported by the Ernst Mach – Music Practice Grant awarded by OeAD and ASEA‑UNINET. After showing much promise during her exchange year, she was accepted into the Master of Arts in Stage Performance (Opera and Musical Drama) programme at mdw, where she is set to begin her studies in Winter 2027.