SarahDufresne

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Soprano
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Representation

General Management with Askonas Holt (Excl. Canada) Partner manager: Canada: Dean Artists Management

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About Sarah

Canadian soprano Sarah Dufresne is now in her second year of the Jette Parker Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House and has recently been named as an Associate Artist of The Mozartists.

Named as one of Canada’s Top 30 Classical Musicians Under 30 in 2022, Sarah's recent performances at the Royal Opera House include Lucia (The Rape of Lucretia), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Hirt (Tannhäuser), Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro), Voce dal Cielo (I and Tusnelda (Arminio). Other recent performances include Carmina Burana with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Rafael Payare, and Nora (Riders to the Sea) with the Montreal Opera. She has also performed with companies and orchestras across Canada, including Orchestre de l’Agora, Ottawa Choral Society and with Orchestre Métropolitain.

In 2022 Sarah was awarded the Second Prize (Aria division) at the Concours Musical International de Montréal and was praised for her “tremendous dramatic presence,” and “astonishing clarity and vocal dexterity” (Opera Canada).

Sarah is based in London

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Representation

General Management with Askonas Holt (Excl. Canada) Partner manager: Canada: Dean Artists Management

Follow Sarah

Season Highlights

Sep 2023 - Oct 2023
Royal Opera House, London
Donizetti L'elisir d'amore (Gianetta) Sesto Quatrini (conductor)
Nov 2023
Timisoara
Mozart Requiem Cristian Măcelaru (conductor)
Dec 2023 - Jan 2024
Royal Opera House, London
Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel (Dew Fairy) Mark Wigglesworth (conductor)

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Selected Repertoire

BernsteinCandide (Cunegonde)
BizetCarmen (Frasquita)
BrittenAlbert Herring (Miss Wordsworth)   •   A Midsummer's Dream (Tytania)   •   Rape of Lucretia (Lucia)
Donizetti L’elisir d'amore (Giannetta)
HandelAcis and Galatea (Galatea)   •   Alcina (Morgana)   •   Ariodante (Ginevra)   •   Armino (Tusnelda)   •   Jephtha (Iphis)
Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel (Dew Fairy)
Janacek Cunning Little Vixen (Vixen)
Lizée No One's Safe (Rebecca Marshall)
MassenetWerther (Sophie)
MozartDie Zauberflote (Pamina), (Papagena)   •   Don Giovanni (Zerlina)   •   La Clemenza di Tito (Servilia)   •   Le Nozze di Figaro (Barbarina)
PucciniLa rondine (Yvette)
RavelL’enfant et les sortileges (The Nightingale)
Thomas Hamlet (Ophélie)
Vaughan Williams Riders to the Sea (Nora)
Verdi Don Carlo (Voce dal cielo)
Wagner Tannhauser (Shepherd)
Weill Street Scene (Mrs. Fiorentino)

News

Press

  • Carmen

    Royal Opera House
    Apr 2024 - May 2024

    • Speaking of people destined for bigger roles; I have been repeatedly impressed with Canadian soprano Sarah Dufresne. I first reviewed her very brief performance as a very aptly named ‘‘Voice from heaven’, in “Don Carlo” and she appears here as Frasquita, heavenly voice tangibly intact. She conducts herself with great physical confidence and is endowed with a beautiful, lyric soprano voice of some quality.

    • Kostas Smoriginas is a firm-toned, sharp-suited toreador in acid yellow flares with Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė standing out as Frasquita and Mercédès.

    • Blaise Malabala was a strong Zuniga, while Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė were a superbly matched Frasquita and Mercédès respectively.

    • Sarah Dufresne and Gabriele Kusyte made a lively pairing as Frasquita and Mercedes, bringing a lightness to their musical performance but also really leaning in to the idea of the two being hookers.

    • The smaller roles are all well taken. Royal Opera Jette Parker Young Artists of huge promise Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė are as vivid a pair of frivolous friends as you’re likely to see or hear.

    • Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour. https://www.ft.com/content/c4a056b0-7948-42ba-920a-7fee967c51a5 Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė, both Jette Parker Young Artists, sparkle as Frasquita and Mercédès, and there is a fine native French duo of smugglers, especially Vincent Ordonneau as Remendado.

    • Kostas Smoriginas is a suitably swaggering Escamillo, Sarah Dufresne and Gabriele Kupsyte bring infectious zip to the female trios with Carmen, and Olga Kulchynska invests the put-upon Micaëla with haunting pathos. And the star-crossed central pair seem made to destroy each other.

    • Jette Parker Artists Sarah Dufresne and Gabriele Kupsyté sparkle as Carmen’s girlfriends Frasquita and Mercédès with their trio “Les tringles des sistres tintaient” being a vocal highlight as they dance in a hybrid flamenco-disco style.

    • Prominent among the remaining cast are the bright, complementary voices of Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė as Frasquita and Mercédès, faring well in the fortune-telling sequence.

    • Ottime anche la Frasquita di Sarah Dufresne e la Mercédès di Gabrielė Kupšytė che portano un po’ di brio.

    • Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė provide excellent support as Frasquita and Mercédès, and the evening’s strong musical credentials also extend to Antonello Manacorda’s conducting.

    • There are very sparky performances from Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė as friends Frasquita and Mercédès.

    • La Frasquita de Sarah Dufresne et la Mercédès de Gabrielė Kupšytė sont de belles promesses.

    • Kostas Smoriginas as Escamillo, unappetising in a lime green raw silk suit, Sarah Dufresne as Frasquita and Gabrielė Kupšytė as Mercédès led the large and admirable supporting ensemble.

    • Among the supporting cast, Pierre Doyen, Vincent Ordonneau, Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielè Kupšytė in particular provide superb performances as the smugglers and Carmen’s friends.

    • The supporting cast was exceptionally strong; bass Blaise Malaba (alumnus of the Jette Parker programme) was an arrogant Zuniga and current Jette Parker Young Artists Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė were remarkably assured and engaging as Frasquita and Mercédès.

    • Enfin, Sarah Dufresne en Frasquita et Gabrielė Kupšytė en Mercedes se montrent comédiennes investies, aux timbres lumineux et clairs, et dont les légers accents apportent leur touche de charme.