Marsha Thompson was watching the Today Show at the age of 4 and saw the Shinichi Suzuki students playing violin in unison. She walked up to the TV and asked her mother, what are they hitting that thing with? Her mother told her that it was a bow and when they pulled the bow across the strings of the violin, they were able to play music. Marsha looked at the TV and exclaimed, “I can do that!” Her Mother then arranged for her to meet with a local Suzuki instructor and she began her musical studies at the age of five at Centenary College of Shreveport, Louisiana.

She attended the University of Houston Moore’s School of Music and studied with world renowned violinist Fredel Lack, who was the first woman to win the Tchaikovsky violin concerto competition. While studying at U of H, she participated in various chamber music ensembles, piano trios being her favorite, the university symphony orchestra and played in the opera pit. While studying violin she decided to also take voice lessons after having won a vocal competition during the summer music camp at Kansas University in Lawrence. It was while playing in the opera pit during Handel’s opera Alcina, that she decided to double major in voice.

As a violinist Ms. Thompson continued to play at the university and professionally in regional symphony orchestras including the Galveston Symphony, Woodlands Symphony Orchestra and the Southwest Louisiana Symphony. During that time she also began to be cast in leading roles of operatic works at the University of Houston and gain her first professional operatic engagements with the Houston Ebony Opera Guild.

While continuing her violin studies and embarking on a professional operatic career, Ms. Thompson entered several competitions. She has won prestigious awards and prizes from The Metropolitan Opera National Council, Gerda Lissner Foundation, Orlando Opera Competition, Ft. Worth Opera Competition, National Society of Arts and Letters, The Links Incorporated, Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, Agnes Varis Competition, The Opera Orchestra of New York Competition, The Callas Tribute Prize, and several others.

Ms Thompson has been seen with various Symphony Orchestras as a vocal soloist, including the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony, Fayetteville (AR) Symphony, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Galveston Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Austin Symphony, and the Krasnoyarsk (Siberia) Philharmonic.

She has sung the roles of Tosca, Aida, Abigaille, Sieglinde, Violetta, Suor Angelica, Bess and several other leading ladies with NY Grand Opera, Opera Carolina, New York City Opera, Mississippi Opera, Opera Theater of the Rockies, Union Avenue Opera, and others.

“Soprano Thompson was simply the finest Bess we have yet seen and heard.” (Opera Carolina)

Classical Voice of North Carolina

“Her voice in the role of Violetta is a warm agile soprano with a secure technique.” (New York Grand Opera-Central Park)

The New York Times

“Abigaille is a difficult role to cast, a big sing with a wide dramatic and vocal range; soprano Marsha Thompson was up to all the challenges the score threw at her. Her high pianissimo singing was exquisite.” (Union Avenue Opera)

St. Louis Dispatch

Ms. Thompson will sing TOSCA with Charlottesville Opera and will make her role debut, later this year as Minnie in La Fanciulla del West by Puccini, with Teatro Municipal de São Paulo.