Find Your Opera Voice

What are the opera voice types?

Opera singers are classified by vocal range, from highest to lowest. There are three main female voice types and four main male voice types.

Soprano

The highest female voice, and usually the one carrying the big emotional moments. If you hear a note that seems impossibly high, that's a soprano at work.

Mezzo-soprano

A step below soprano, warmer and richer in tone. Mezzos often play the seductress, the best friend, or the mother, characters with a little more shading to them.

Contralto

The lowest and rarest female voice. Deep, dark, and full. You won't hear one every show, but when you do, it's unmistakable.

Countertenor

The highest male voice, singing in a range that overlaps with female voices. Rare and striking.

Tenor

A high male voice, and traditionally the leading man. If a character is the romantic hero, there's a good chance a tenor is singing the part.

Baritone

A middle male voice, warm and versatile. Baritones move easily between heroes, villains, and everything in between.

Bass

The lowest male voice. Deep, resonant, and often cast as the authority figure, the father, or the villain lurking in the low notes.