JESSIE MASSOUDI
Singer . Actress
A bit about
Jessie
Iranian-American soprano Jessie Massoudi is a native of Southern California best known for her fearless personality on stage. She has been described as having “a young, quirky Elizabeth McGovern quality” in her stage presence and “moves with distinctive personality – finding just the right balance of camp and economy of movement”, (Bruce Fessier, The Desert Sun).
In 2019, Jessie created the role of Janine in the world premier of Gunfight at the Not-So-OK Saloon, a hilarious award winning Hollywood Fringe Festival operetta. Some of her most notable operatic roles include Musetta (La Bohème – Desert Theatre League “Best Supporting Actress” award nominee), Miss Silverpeal (The Impresario), Giulietta (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Nella (Gianni Schicchi), and Dorabella (Così fan tutte). Musical theater and operetta highlights include Gianetta (The Gondoliers), Adele and Alfred (Die Fledermaus), Lisa (The Grand Duke), Lady Angela (Patience – Desert Theatre League “Best Supporting Actress” award winner), Gertrude McFuzz (Seussical the Musical), Amy March (Little Women the Musical), Evita, and Guys and Dolls. In the summer of 2021, Ms. Massoudi returned to live theater with Mission Opera in the West Coast premiere of Offenbach’s rarely performed Le 66 as Grittly.
Ms. Massoudi holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Redlands, where she sang in the award winning Chapel Singers chamber ensemble under the direction of Jean-Sebastien Valleé. As a versatile artist, Jessie is also appreciated as a songwriter and pop singer with a “bluesy quality” to her voice, and frequently performs with the jazz band, North Benched.
Aside from performing, Jessie is also known for her strong activism. As a first-generation biracial Persian American, Jessie is deeply involved in amplifying Iranian American voices in the US, mainly through the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). After working as an Elections Coordinator and Leadership Council Member, she was recently named co-captain for NIAC's Los Angeles Chapter. Ms. Massoudi has also worked with several other human rights organizations- mainly Women’s March, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and Supermajority.
As a queer woman, Jessie also uses her voice to speak up for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. She often volunteers with HRC and, through NIAC, worked with the Sepi Shyne campaign in West Hollywood, CA, to help make her the first openly queer Iranian to be elected into public office in the entire world. In 2018 Landmark Opera gave Ms. Massoudi the opportunity to play a gender-bending version of Alfred in the popular operetta Die Fledermaus, allowing her to create a lesbian version of a well known character in the opera world. Ms. Massoudi hopes that as a performing artist, she can open minds, raise awareness, and help bring peace to the world.
Events
Multiple DatesSun, Aug 2913060 Roscoe Blvd, Sun Valley, CA 91352, USAAug 29, 2021, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM13060 Roscoe Blvd, Sun Valley, CA 91352, USALandmark Opera presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s THE GONDOLIERS, a comic operetta in English. The Gondoliers will serenade you into a wacky story about a child bride married to an infant king who becomes lost, only to be found twenty years later raised by gondoliers in Venice, Italy.
