|
The American soprano, Sydney Anderson, studied Musical Theatre at American Musical and Dramatic Academy (2008-2009). She obtained her double Bachelor Degree from The Hartt School of Music in Vocal Performance and Music Education (2009-2014); and her Masters Degree in Vocal Performance and Opera from University of Houston: Moores School of Music (2014-2016). She was named an Eastern Region Finalist after winning the Eastern District of the 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and went on to win the Audience Favorite Award at the Region Finals. She has previously won two Encouragement Awards through the competition (2018 and 2019), and was named a 2019 Finalist in the prestigious Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Other acknowledgements include First Prize Winner in the 2018 Young Texas Artists' Competition, Grand Finalist in the 2018 Frank Huntington Beebe Fund for Musicians Competition, First Prize Winner in the 2017 Danube Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, recipient of a 2017 Fielder Grant for Vocal Career Advancement, Karl Amelang Memorial Award in the 2016 Houston Saengerbund German Singing Competition, and winner of The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston’s 2015 vocal scholarship competition.
Sydney Anderson has been praised for her “stunning vocal fireworks,” and is quickly gaining recognition as an accomplished stage performer and concert soloist. A contemporary music enthusiast, she has participated in numerous World Premieres as well as workshops of new compositions at various stages of the creation process. She was most recently featured with Beth Morrison Projects at National Sawdust, creating the role of One in the World Premiere of Elizabeth Gartman's it is a comfort to know, as a part of BMP: Next Generation, starred as Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Scalia/Ginsburg with Opera in the Heights, and created to role of Dalinda in the World Premiere of Johnathan Dawe’s Being Ariodante with Ensemble Échappé. Other recent credits include creating the voice of Snow/Child on the 2021 World Premiere recording of The Selfish Giant (Clarice Assad/Lila Palmer) for Opera Saratoga, and Monkey in the first public workshop of The Opposable Thumb (Jorge Sosa/Julian Crouch) with American Lyric Theater.
During the summer of 2019, Sydney Anderson covered Jennifer Zetlan in the Title Role of Ricky Ian Gordon's Ellen West, which was premiered at Opera Saratoga and co-commissioned by Beth Morrison Projects. Her connection to Opera Saratoga dates back to 2015, when she participated in the company's young artist program and covered the role of Virgil in the World Premiere of The Long Walk (Jeremy Howard Beck and Stephanie Fleischmann.) In 2019, she was featured at Yale's Woolsey Hall as the soprano soloist in The Here and Now (Christopher Theofanidis) and Symphony No. 1: Omnes Gentes (Brett Keüper Abigaña). On this same concert she had the honor of premiering I Sing and Sing by Josh Sparkman, a symphonic work for Wind Ensemble, Choir, and Soprano and Tenor soloists, written specifically for her voice.
Last season, Sydney Anderson sang the role of Countessa in W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera NEO, which San Diego Story stated she performed with "vocal assurance." COVID-19 concaellations include concert and operatic role debuts as Juana in the Staged Premiere of En la ardiente oscuridad (Omar Najmi) with The Phoenicia Festival, Vienna in Der glorreiche Augenblick (L.v. Beethoven) with the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, Gretel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel with City Lyric Opera in New York City, Countessa in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera in the Hieghts, and Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Finger Lakes Opera. Other recent opera roles include Dew Fairy in Hansel und Gretel (Opera Saratoga), Elettra in W.A. Mozart's Idomeneo (Opera Neo), Zerlina in Don Giovanni (Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra), Manon in Manon, Lisette in La Rondine, Adina in L’eslisir d’amore, Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffman, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, and Tallulah in Thomas Pasatieri's The Hotel Casablanca.
Sydney Anderson made her European concert debut in the summer of 2017 with the Danube Symphony Orchestra in Budapest, after winning 1st Place in their Concerto Competition. She also appeared as a guest artist with the 2017 Festival Musicale Itinerante based in Nuoro, Sardegna. She has previously appeared as a featured soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera Guild, New Haven Chorale and Orchestra, and in recital with Opera Saratoga at Opera America's National Opera Center in New York City. Other recent soloist appearances include W.A. Mozart's Requiem, the Title Role in George Frideric Handel’s Esther (Manchester Symphony Orchestra), Evangelist in Heinrich Schütz' Johannes Passion, many J.S. Bach cantatas with Bach Society Houston. In March 2019, she was heard as La Madre in San Giovanni Battista with Ars Lyrica Houston, after a successful debut in the Italian Sirens concert as part of the company's "Artful Women" 2017-2018 season. In 2016, she celebrated her mainstage debut with Houston Grand Opera as Arminy in Carousel, directed by Rob Ashford and conducted by Richard Bado, and participated in the company’s Opera to Go! program as the Princess in Mary Carol Warwick’s The Princess and the Pea.
Sydney Anderson currently resides in New York City. |
