SarahDufresne
Contact
Vincent Turp
Representation
About Sarah
Canadian soprano Sarah Dufresne was a member of the Jette Parker Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House from 2022-2024 and was named as an Associate Artist of The Mozartists for the 2023-2024 season.
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).
Representation
Season Highlights
Video
CMIM Voice 2022 Semifinal - Sarah Dufresne
Sarah Dufresne - Semifinal Aria division Concours musical international de Montréal, OSM Jacques Lacombe June 2022 Credit: Concours musical international de Montréal
PlayingSarah Dufresne - CMIM Voice 2022 - Final
Sarah Dufresne: Final round of the Aria division of the Concours musical international de Montréal, OSM Jacques Lacombe June 2022 Credit: Concours musical international de Montréal
PlayingSarah Dufresne - Mozart - Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!
Sarah Dufresne Orchestre Métropolitain Nicolas Ellis Place des Arts, Montreal June 2021 Credit: Orchestre Métropolitain
Playing
Photos
Selected Repertoire
Bernstein | Candide (Cunegonde) |
---|---|
Bizet | Carmen (Frasquita) |
Britten | Albert Herring (Miss Wordsworth) • A Midsummer's Dream (Tytania) • Rape of Lucretia (Lucia) |
Donizetti | L’elisir d'amore (Adina, Giannetta) |
Handel | Acis 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) |
Massenet | Werther (Sophie) |
Mozart | Die Zauberflote (Pamina), (Papagena) • Don Giovanni (Zerlina) • La Clemenza di Tito (Servilia) • Le Nozze di Figaro (Barbarina) |
Puccini | La rondine (Yvette) |
Ravel | L’enfant et les sortileges (The Nightingale) |
Thomas | Hamlet (Ophélie) |
Vaughan Williams | Riders to the Sea (Nora) |
Verdi | Don Carlo (Voce dal cielo) • Rigoletto (Gilda) |
Wagner | Tannhauser (Shepherd) |
Weill | Street Scene (Mrs. Fiorentino) |
News
Press
Carmen
Royal Opera HouseApr 2024 - May 2024Speaking 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.
- Mike Hardy, Operawire
- 30 April 2024
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.
- Clive Paget, The Guardian
- 07 April 2024
Blaise Malabala was a strong Zuniga, while Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė were a superbly matched Frasquita and Mercédès respectively.
- Colin Clarke, Seen and Heard
- 07 April 2024
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.
- Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill
- 06 April 2024
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.
- David Nice, The Arts Desk
- 06 April 2024
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.
- Richard Fairman, Financial Times
- 08 April 2024
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.
- Michael Church, i News
- 07 April 2024
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.
- Adrian York, London Unattached
- 06 April 2024
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.
- David Truslove, Opera Today
- 08 April 2024
Ottime anche la Frasquita di Sarah Dufresne e la Mercédès di Gabrielė Kupšytė che portano un po’ di brio.
- Pietro Dall'Aglio, Connessi all'Opera
- 10 April 2024
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.
- Sam Smith, Opera Online
- 10 April 2024
There are very sparky performances from Sarah Dufresne and Gabrielė Kupšytė as friends Frasquita and Mercédès.
- Claudia Pritchard, Culture Whisper
- 10 April 2024
La Frasquita de Sarah Dufresne et la Mercédès de Gabrielė Kupšytė sont de belles promesses.
- Jean Michel Pennetier, Forum Opera
- 11 April 2024
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.
- Fiona Maddocks, The Observer
- 13 April 2024
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.
- Leah Broad, Gramophone
- 08 April 2024
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.
- Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International
- 02 May 2024
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.
- Emmanuel Deroeux, Olyrix
- 02 May 2024