Rachel Willis-Sorensen

• Soprano

Biography

In the 2011 – 2012 season, Rachel Willis-Sørensen made her Royal Opera House-Covent Garden debut as Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro to rave reviews under music director Antonio Pappano, a role which she also debuted at Michigan Opera Theatre. Ms. Willis-Sørensen also debuted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 under Leonard Slatkin at the Hollywood Bowl. Additionally, she appeared at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Fiordiligi in 'Così fan tutte' and Gotham Chamber Opera as Licenza in Christopher Alden’s production of Mozart’s rarely-heard 'Il sogno di Scipione' to celebrate their 10th anniversary.

Ms. Willis-Sørensen is a recent alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. In the 2010 – 2011 season, she sang the role of Kate Pinkerton in 'Madama Butterfly' and Fiordiligi in 'Così fan tutte' in the HGO Studio performances. She also covered Ellen Orford in 'Peter Grimes', Countess Almaviva in 'Le nozze di Figaro', and the title role in 'Ariadne auf Naxos'. Ms. Willis-Sørensen made her mainstage debut as Masha in 'Pique Dame' and covered both Elsa in 'Lohengrin' and the Governess in 'The Turn of the Screw' in the 2009 – 2010 season at Houston Grand Opera. Ms. Willis-Sørensen made her Santa Fe Opera debut as the First Lady in Mozart’s 'Die Zauberflöte' and performed excerpts from 'Arabella' as a member of their prestigious Apprentice Program.

Additional awards for Ms. Willis-Sørensen include first place in the 2009 Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers in Houston and the 2010 Sara Tucker Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation. She holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Brigham Young University.