BIOGRAPHY
Raised in beautiful Niagara Falls, and currently based in London, U.K., Canadian soprano Sarah Dufresne is known for her clarity of tone, rapid coloratura, and diverse repertoire.
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This season, Sarah made debuts with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Toledo Symphony as well as in both Cadogan and Wigmore halls as an associate artist of The Mozartists. This season also marks her second year as an artist in Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Program, appearing on stage at Covent Garden in Bizet’s Carmen (Frasquita), Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’amore (Giannetta), and Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (Dew Fairy), as well as various cover assignments. The summer of 2023 saw Sarah’s debut with Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal for Orff’s Carmina Burana with Rafael Payare.
For the 22/23 season, Sarah debuted on the stage of Covent Garden to great acclaim in her roles as Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Lucia (The Rape of Lucretia), Der Hirt (Tannhäuser), Voce dal Cielo (Don Carlo), Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro), and Tusnelda (Arminio). She had the great pleasure of working under the batons of Antonio Pappano, Joana Mallwitz, Bertrand de Billy, Maxim Emelyanychev, and Sebastian Weigle, and the direction of Sir David McVicar, Oliver Mears, and Tim Albery.
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Recently praised for her vocal technique and ease on the stage, Sarah’s 2021/2022 season included various concert performances with the l’Atelier lyrique, appearing with Chorus Niagara for Handel’s Messiah, as Anne for Ottawa Choral Society’s performance of Whitbourn’s Annelies, and covering various roles at l’Opéra de Montréal through her resident artist position. Sarah appeared on the mainstage at Place des Arts as Nora in Opéra de Montréal’s season opening production of Vaughn-William’s Riders to the Sea. In June of 2022, Sarah placed second in the Aria Division of the prestigious Concours Musical International de Montréal, garnering praise for her “tremendous dramatic presence,” and “astonishing clarity and vocal dexterity” [Opera Canada].
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Other repertoire includes Tytania (Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Mrs. Fiorentino (Kurt Weill’s Street Scene), Galatea (Handel’s Acis and Galatea), and Servilia in (Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito). Recently, in collaboration with Against the Grain Theater and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Sarah premiered the role of Rebecca Marshall in their production of Nicole Lizée’s No One’s Safe, a conceptual and immersive murder mystery opera.
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Sarah has performed with various companies and orchestras across Canada, including Waterloo Chamber Players, Grand Philharmonic Choir of Kitchener Waterloo, Opera McGill, Halifax Summer Opera, and with Orchestre Metropolitain under the baton of Nicolas Ellis. Sarah has also completed residencies at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Lachine International Vocal Academy, the Stratford Summer Music Program, and the Scuola Giovanni Grasso.
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Sarah was awarded the top prize of Stingray Music Rising Star in the 2019 l’Opéra de Montréal talent gala. That same year, Sarah was an award winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Buffalo/Toronto District) and earned the prestigious Jacqueline Desmarais Grant for Young Canadian Opera Singers.