American soprano Candace Williams has performed and studied a variety of operatic roles, including Norina (Don Pasquale), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Constance (Dialogues des Carmelites), and more. This season, she looks forward to covering the role of Despina for Queen City Opera’s upcoming production of Così fan tutte and will be the soprano soloist in Handel’s Dixit Dominus at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, both in Cincinnati, OH. She has enjoyed several seasons with Cincinnati Opera as a chorus member and has additionally performed as a soloist in several of their workshop presentations of contemporary operas. With a specific passion for community engagement efforts, Candace has also performed with Cincinnati Opera in a variety of outreach performances aimed towards young audiences, including the title role of César Cui’s Little Red as a part of their collaboration with Roundabout Opera for Kids.  Ms. Williams is a decorated competitor, holding multiple awards from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, the George Shirley Vocal Competition, and the Pasadena Vocal Competition. As an avid lover of ensemble singing, Candace recently joined the Spoleto Festival as a 2026 Choral Fellow and regularly performs with several Cincinnati-based professional vocal chamber ensembles, including the Cincinnati Fusion Ensemble, Ensemble con Fuoco, Bach Ensemble of St. Thomas, and more. She holds an Artist Diploma in Opera Performance from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from University of Kentucky, and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance & Pedagogy from Oakwood University.