Opera singer.
Comedian.
Writer.
American soprano Stephanie DePrez moved to Europe to sing opera. Now, she combines classical singing with stand-up comedy in a singular stage experience thrilling audiences across Europe. She's performed stand-up from Los Angeles to London, sung as soprano soloist at Carnegie Hall and the Berlin Konzerthaus, and opened for megastars Michelle Wolf and David Cross, SNL writer Rosebud Baker, and viral sensation Kyla Cobbler.
"Her enthusiasm and musical skill are infectious."
The Wee Review
"Steph is clearly an expert at her craft."
Theatre Travels
"She effortlessly weaves her vocal talents with sharp wit and hilarious storytelling."
Broadway Baby
"Steph is immensely talented."
Broadway World
"With a stunning voice and a knack for physical comedy, she expertly merges her two worlds."
Edinburgh Reviews
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Read now! Steph's weekly newsletter brings you stories from the road and the most up to date schedule.
"But, like, how did you end up doing this?"
I was born in Santa Monica, California, and grew up in Denver, Colorado.
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, I taught high school for four years at Xavier College Prep in Palm Desert, CA. I was the recipient of the Rotary Club of Palm Desert Spirit of Service in Secondary Education award for my work as a choir director, theology teacher, and drama program director.
As a Catholic theology teacher, I led monthly student immersion trips to East LA to facilitate hands-on understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and our human responsibility to accompany those on the margins. My students and I worked closely with the Guadalupe Homeless Project at Dolores Mission, preparing food for and eating with men staying at the shelter, and Homeboy Industries, exploring the root causes of gang formation and rehabilitation.
I began taking improv lessons at the Groundlings School, LA's renowned comedy training institution, during my final year teaching high school, driving two hours each way into LA every Sunday for classes. In 2015, I left teaching to pursue a career in acting. I became a VIP Tour Guide at Universal Studios Hollywood and the Music Director at St. Timothy Parish in West LA, jobs that fit well in between TV auditions and gigs as a seat-filler on game shows.
In 2016, at the encouragement of my voice teacher in LA, I began a Master's in opera at UCLA. Since graduating, I've performed with Seraphic Fire, Manhattan Opera Studio, Miami Music Festival, American Wagner Project, Dramatic Voices Program Berlin, and Regents Opera in London.
Like most American opera singers, I knew my best bet for a career on stage would be to move to Europe, which offers a far more robust opera scene. From 2019-2021, I worked as a United States Teaching Assistant for Fulbright Austria, teaching at the Pädagogische Hochschule Niederösterreich, a teacher's college just south of Vienna. While doing the Fulbright, I continued vocal study with Sylvia Greenberg and Linda Watson in Vienna.
During the pandemic and subsequent shut-down of opera, I began spending more time at comedy open mics, developing a set based on my experience as an opera singer and new life singing and working in Europe. As the opera world struggled to re-open, I moved from Vienna to Berlin, and comedy went from being a refuge to being a creative necessity.
I continue to perform in both worlds. I made my debut in Berlin's music scene with Dvorak's Stabat Mater as the soprano soloist at the Berlin Konzerthaus in 2022, and recently covered Sieglinde for Regents Opera in London. I first took a solo show to the Edinburgh Fringe Fesitval in 2023. In 2024, I sang live and gave an interview on BBC News in a story about international acts at the Fringe, and was featured in the recent Arte documentary about female comedians: "Stand-up, la rage de rire." I've opened for Michelle Wolf, David Cross, Rosebud Baker, and Kyla Cobbler. My 2025 Fringe show, "8 Ways to Break a Glass (with an American Opera Singer)", had three 4-star reviews, and will be returning to The Dragonfly for a full run in 2026.
Denver, CO
Palm Desert, CA
Los Angeles
Vienna
Berlin
As for the project of affording life as an artist... I have nine years of parallel career experience as writer specializing in B2B content for SaaS companies. You can learn more about my corporate experience, and hire me as a freelance content marketer, on LinkedIn. If you're interested in voice lessons, I teach in Pankow and Schoeneberg. I have a subscription-based Substack newsletter "You're Invited to Laugh," a weekly look at work as a stand-up comedian. I'm also the lead vocalist for the metal band Avistortion (who you can follow on Spotify!)
I currently livesin Weissensee with my cat Loaf and a couch that hosts a rotating collection of comedians on tour and opera singers in town for auditions.