Soprano 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, Sydney has participated in numerous world premieres and workshops of new compositions at various stages of the creation process. She was recently featured with BMP: Next Generation at National Sawdust, creating the role of One in the world premiere of Elizabeth Gartman's it is a comfort to know, starred as Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Scalia/Ginsburg with Opera in the Heights, and created the role of Dalinda in the world premiere of Johnathan Dawe’s Being Ariodante with Ensemble Échappé.  Sydney created the voice of Snow/Child on the 2021 world premiere recording of The Selfish Giant for Opera Saratoga, and Monkey in the first public workshop of The Opposable Thumb with American Lyric Theater.

 

In 2020 Sydney sang the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera NEO which San Diego Story said she performed with “vocal assurance." Pandemic cancellations included concert and operatic role debuts as Juana in the premiere of En la ardiente oscuridad with The Phoenicia Festival, Vienna in Der glorreiche Augenblick with the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, Gretel in Hansel und Gretel with City Lyric Opera in New York City, Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera in the Heights and Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Finger Lakes Opera.

 

During the summer of 2019, Sydney stood by for the title role in 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. In 2019 Sydney was featured at Yale's Woolsey Hall as the soprano soloist in The Here and Now and Symphony No. 1: Omnes Gentes and I Sing and Sing by Josh Sparkman, a symphonic work for wind ensemble, choir, soprano, and tenor soloists.

 

Other credits include Dew Fairy in Hansel und Gretel, Elettra in Idomeneo, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, the title role 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 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 regional finals. She has previously won two Encouragement Awards through the competition and was named a 2019 finalist in the prestigious Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Other acknowledgments include first prize in the 2018 Young Texas Artists' Competition, grand finalist in the 2018 Frank Huntington Beebe Fund for Musicians Competition, first prize in the 2017 Danube Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, 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 made her European concert debut in the summer of 2017 with the Danube Symphony Orchestra in Budapest, after winning first place in their concerto competition. She made a guest appearance with the Festival Musicale Itinerante based in Sardegna. She has previously appeared as a featured soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and in recital with Opera Saratoga at Opera America's National Opera Center in New York City. Other recent soloist appearances include Mozart’s Requiem, the title role in Handel’s Esther with the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, Evangelist in Schütz’s Johannes Passion, and many J. S. Bach cantatas with the Bach Society of Houston. In 2019, Sydney 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.

 

Sydney holds double Bachelor degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education from The Hartt School of Music and a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Moores School of Music. She currently resides in New York City.