Soprano Sarah Dufresne has been celebrated for her “style and elegance” (Bachtrack), and “richness of tone… angelic high notes and admirable control” (ArtsDesk). This season saw Sarah make role debuts as Ophelie in Thomas’ Hamlet (Opéra de Montréal), Semele in Strauss’ Die Liebe der Danae (Bayerische Staatsoper), and Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, which marks her company debut with Pacific Opera Victoria. She looks forward to reprising the role with Vancouver Opera next season.
Recent performance highlights include her debut with the London Symphony Orchestra as Yvette/Georgette in Puccini’s La Rondine with Sir Antonio Pappano and Orchestre Métropolitain as the High Priestess in Verdi’s Aida under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the Festival de Lanaudière.
The 2023/2024 season included concert debuts with both the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Toledo Symphony, as well as in both Cadogan and Wigmore Halls as an associate artist of The Mozartists. She finished her two-year residency with 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), all to much critical acclaim.
Sarah debuted on the stage of Covent Garden 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 Joana Mallwitz, Bertrand de Billy, Maxim Emelyanychev, and Sebastian Weigle, and the direction of Sir David McVicar, Oliver Mears, and Tim Albery. Additionally, the summer of 2023 saw Sarah’s debut with Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal for Orff’s Carmina Burana with Rafael Payare.
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].
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.
Sarah has been engaged by 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 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.