Paloma Friedhoff Bello

An American and Spanish citizen born in Antwerp, Belgium, Paloma Friedhoff grew up in Madrid, Spain, in a family of musicians. She is the winner of several international prizes in Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, Washington DC and St. Louis. She specializes primarily in Early Music, art song, concert and symphonic repertoire, and more recently recording for film music, composers, and choirs.

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Recent performances include Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio and Dvořák’s Te Deum with the Spanish National Choir and Orchestra at the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid; Brahms’ A German Requiem with Orquesta y Coro Joven de Andalucía; and the premiere and recording of the roles of Bubaste in La Nitteti by Nicolò Conforto with Nereydas Ensemble, and Sonofisba in Scipione in Spagna by Alessandro Scarlatti with La Ritirata.

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From 2019 to 2022 she toured Spain as soprano soloist with the Film Symphony Orchestra singing music by Ennio Morricone, John Williams and Hans Zimmer, and also performed under the baton of Ennio Morricone during the 2019 Iberian Tour. In April 2017 she made her debut at Teatro Real in Madrid in the title role of El Gato con Botas by Xavier Montsalvatge, and was invited as a soloist by the Princeton Music Festival (USA).

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Career highlights include Messiah with Orquesta del Reino de Aragón; Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia Festival; Exsultate, Jubilate at the Palau de la Música in Valencia; Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Murcia and Alicante; Brahms’ and Mozart’s Requiem with Orfeón Donostiarra at the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid; Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra cello section; and performances with La Fura dels Baus at South Summit in Madrid.

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As an Early Music enthusiast, she has appeared at festivals such as the Festival Internacional de Ushuaia (Argentina), Princeton Music Festival, Festival Internacional de Música de Canarias, Semana de Música Religiosa de Cuenca, Festival de Arte Sacro de Madrid and Universo Barroco, and has given recitals with vihuela, lute, baroque guitar and theorbo alongside Uxía Delgado and Manuel Minguillón.

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In Contemporary Music she has premiered Roberto Sierra’s Décimas at Ravinia Festival (recorded for Spanish National Classical Radio), Eurico Carrapatoso’s secular cantata O Lobo Diogo e o Mosquito Valentim, Requiem by Sebastián Mariné with Sonor Ensemble, and works by Jorge Argüelles, Mercedes Zavala and Miguel Bustamante.

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She regularly performs in duo with pianist Leyre Lisarri and guitarist Pablo Rioja. With both partners she has won awards and toured widely throughout Spain, performing German, French and Spanish art song of the 19th and 20th centuries.

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A recipient of the prestigious “La Caixa” scholarship, Paloma holds a Master’s degree from Indiana University, where she studied with Sylvia McNair. She has also received grants from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Caja de Burgos (“Excellence”), and Juventudes Musicales de Madrid. She holds Bachelor degrees from the Escuela Superior de Canto de Madrid (Manuel Cid) and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München (Edith Wiens). For more information: www.palomafriedhoff.com

 

January 2026