Brooklyn-born mezzo-soprano Ori Marcu is celebrated for her compelling acting and distinctive sound. In 2025 she earned high praise from The Washington Post as the “favorite singer of the evening” for her performance as Erika in Heartbeat Opera’s production of Vanessa. A versatile performer, she has taken on roles such as Bradamante in Händel’s Alcina and Tara in Anthony Davis’ Lear on the 2nd Floor.

Ori has been recognized in numerous competitions, her achievements including a first-prize win in the Kyrenia Opera Competition, a second-prize win in the Friends of Eastman Opera Competition, and reaching the final and semi-final of the Mildred Miller and Camille Coloratura competitions respectively. Her recent stage credits include Ohio Light Opera’s 45th season, where she sang the roles of Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Liesl in The Sound of Music, and Tessa in The Gondoliers. Her Adelaide was hailed as “brilliantly performed” by Cleveland Classical.

Multiple operatic training programs have included Ori in their roster of resident artists including Palm Beach Opera, Amherst Early Music Festival, and the Lakes Area Music Festival. At these programs she worked with renowned artists such as Julia Bullock, Julianne Baird, Christian Reif, and Omer Ben-Seadia.

In addition to her performance career Ori has gained experienced behind the scenes, working as assistant director and assistant stage manager for productions with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Eastman Opera Theater, Rochester Summer Opera, and Berlin Opera Academy.