Described by Opera News as “enchanting […] radiant and glittering,” soprano Sydney Mancasola is quickly establishing herself as one of the most engaging singing actresses of her generation. Beginning her musical training as a classical violinist in her home state of California, Sydney went on to study voice at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, where she completed her Bachelor of Music degree in 2011 and was the recipient of the Margot Bos Standler Scholarship. Sydney was previously a member of the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt, where her roles included Gilda Rigoletto, Musetta La bohème, Pamina Die Zauberflöte, Onoria Ezio, the Italian Singer in Capriccio, Roxana in a new production of Szymanowski’s Król Roger, Frasquita Carmen, Susanna Le nozze di Figaro and the soprano soloist in a new production of Betulia liberata.
In her 2022-23 season Sydney returns to the Metropolitan Opera to reprise the role of Pamina in the Julie Taymor production of The Magic Flute, as well as covering the role of Laura Brown for the world premiere of Kevin Put’s The Hours, directed by Phelim McDermott. Sydney also makes her role and house debut as Mélisande in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande at Los Angeles Opera, conducted by James Conlon in a production by David McVicar, and sings Bess Breaking the Waves in her house debut at the Opéra Comique, Paris. On the concert platform, Sydney Mahler Symphony No. 2 at the Palau de les Arts, Valencia.
Sydney’s notable debuts have included her house and role debut at the Opéra National de Paris, singing Adina L’Elisir d’amore at the Opera Bastille, her company debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Pamina The Magic Flute and Frasquita Carmen, which was broadcast to theatres around the world as part of the Met’s Live in HD program, as well as her debut as Bess in a new production of Breaking the Waves at the Adelaide Festival Centre in Australia and Edinburgh International Festival, where she was awarded a Herald Angel for her performance. She made her European debut with Komische Oper Berlin as the heroines Les Contes d’Hoffmann, subsequently returning to the house as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Pamina Die Zauberflöte and title role Semele.
Last season Sydney made her debut in the role of Tytania in Britten’s A Midsummer Nights’ Dream at the Des Moines Metro Opera, and returned to the Komische Oper Berlin as Eurydice in Offenbach’s Orpheus in der Unterwelt. Further highlights include a return to English National Opera to sing Musetta in their unique outdoor ‘Drive & Live’ production of La bohéme held at Alexandra Palace, produced as a response to the Covid-19 crisis returned, and made her role debut with Lucerne Theater, Switzerland singing the role of Fiordiligi Cosi fan Tutte. Further operatic highlights include her house debut at Washington National Opera as Pamina Die Zauberflöte conducted by Eun Sun Kim, her role debut as Violetta in La traviata and Lisette in La Rondine for the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, title role Manon and the role of Comtesse Adèle Le Comte Ory at Des Moines Metro Opera, title role in Manon for Oper Köln, Gilda in the Jonathan Miller production of Rigoletto at English National Opera, Marie in La Fille du régiment for Palm Beach Opera and her role debut as Leïla in Les Pêcheurs de perles with Florida Grand Opera.
The concert stage has seen Sydney in performance with the San Francisco Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and Santa Fe Symphony singing Handel’s Messiah, Eugene Symphony Orchestra for Haydn’s Die Schöpfung conducted by Danail Rachev, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Sun Valley Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer, Strauss’s Brentano-Lieder, and Handel’s Messiah with the Santa Fe Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Michael Rossi. She was also featured as a guest soloist in Schubert’s Mass in G and Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate with the 2012 international music festival Calí de Camara in Colombia, performed a recital with Elīna Garanča at The Green Space in New York as part of the Classical Up Close series, and recently made her Italian debut singing Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale RAI conducted by James Conlon.
Honours and awards include a Grand Finals winner of the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a winner of the 2016 Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Prize from Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Top Prize Winner of the Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition, 2nd Prize and Audience Favourite at the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition, and 1st Prize in the Loren L. Zachary National Vocal Competition. Sydney is an alumna of the Academy of Vocal Arts, Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, where she received the Judith Raskin Memorial Award for Singers, the Gerdine Young Artist program at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Brevard Music Center.
