"I like this slightly wicked Rosina!
Terrifically accurate...effortless sounding fioratura!"
- Judge Comments, Harold Haugh Light Opera Competition
“Sparrow was dewily sweet as Polly Peachum”
– Indiana Public Media
(The Threepenny Opera, Indianapolis Opera)
Repertoire
PERFORMED/NEW MUSIC REPERTOIRE:
FIVE IMAGES AFTER SAPPHO - by Esa Pekka Salonen, honored special guest (Salonen bows with us)
Rachel enjoys promoting and performing NEW Music.
"Sometimes new music gets a bad rap - Because it can sometimes make an audience feel "uncomfortable".
-But, I will say that being uncomfortable can often serve a purpose. In ALL art forms of human expression, there are things that aren't necessarily "beautiful"...but are none the less necessary, meaningful, and can inspire change or facilitate an outlet for the expressions of humanity. Furthermore .... NOT ALL NEW MUSIC IS MEANT TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE. There is SO much new music out there being vibrantly created all the time, things that reach all aspects of humanity. From every range of expression and human experiences that we endure in life. I love new music. It's such a breathe of fresh air. We need the most brilliant musical minds to create NEW things. Especially Music that heals, or unifies us, or guides us to a higher purpose than ourselves. Music can often speak to current and relevant issues faced today. If you are a composer and you like doing that, and you need a singer that can do "hard things" and be a voice for your expressive outlet- I'm your girl. Let's talk."
- Rachel Sparrow
"Sometimes new music gets a bad rap - Because it can sometimes make an audience feel "uncomfortable".
-But, I will say that being uncomfortable can often serve a purpose. In ALL art forms of human expression, there are things that aren't necessarily "beautiful"...but are none the less necessary, meaningful, and can inspire change or facilitate an outlet for the expressions of humanity. Furthermore .... NOT ALL NEW MUSIC IS MEANT TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE. There is SO much new music out there being vibrantly created all the time, things that reach all aspects of humanity. From every range of expression and human experiences that we endure in life. I love new music. It's such a breathe of fresh air. We need the most brilliant musical minds to create NEW things. Especially Music that heals, or unifies us, or guides us to a higher purpose than ourselves. Music can often speak to current and relevant issues faced today. If you are a composer and you like doing that, and you need a singer that can do "hard things" and be a voice for your expressive outlet- I'm your girl. Let's talk."
- Rachel Sparrow
OperaBaroque
Drusilla (L'incoronazione di Poppea) Belinda (Dido and Aeneas) Morgana (Alcina) Semele (Semele) Partenope (Partenope) Dalinda (Ariodante) Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare) Mozart Blondchen (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) Celia (Lucio Silla) Despina (Cosi fan tutte) Zerlina (Don Giovanni) Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) Bel Canto Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor) Gilda (Rigoletto) Adina (L'elisir d'amore) Norina (Don Pasquale) Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) Marie (La Fille du Regiment) Romantic Lakmé (Lakmé) Olympia (Les Contes D'Hoffman) La Fee (Cendrillon) Baby Doe (Ballad of Baby Doe) Sophie (Werther) Micaëla (Carmen) Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier) Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) Contemporary Tytania (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Lady with hand mirror (Postcard from Morocco) Rose Murrant (Street Scene) Lucy (The Telephone) La Voix Humaine Operetta Cunegonde (Candide) Adele (Die Fledermaus) Kathie (Student Prince) Mabel (Pirates of Penzance) Marietta (Naughty Marietta) |
Concert/OratorioBach:
St. Matthew's Passion St. Johns Passion Christmas Oratorio Mass in B minor Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915 Brahms: Requiem Britten: Les Illuminations Canteloube : Chant d' Auvergne Faure: Requiem Gliere: Concerto for Coloratura Handel: Messiah Joshua Judas Maccabeus Haydn: The Creation Robert A. Harris: Gloria Karl Jenkins: Requiem for Peace Lloyd Webber: Requiem Mahler: Symphony No. 2 Symphony No. 4 Mozart: Coronation Mass Exultate Jubilate Mass in C Minor Requiem Orff: Carmina Burana Poulenc: Gloria Rachmaninoff: The Bells Schubert: Shepherd on a Rock Strauss: Brentano Lieder Vivaldi: Beatus Vir |
Musical TheaterAdo Annie & Laurey (Oklahoma) Maria (Sound of Music) Anna (King and I) Nellie (South Pacific) Carrie Pipperidge (Carousel) Cinderella (Cinderella) Guinevere (Camelot) Eliza Doolittle (My Fair Lady) Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls) Dolly (Hello Dolly) Magnolia (Showboat) Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins) Polly (The Threepenny Opera) Christine & Carlotta (Phantom of the Opera) Cosette (Les Miserables) Galinda (Wicked) Lady of the Lake (Spamalot) Johanna (Sweeney Todd) Princess Winifred (Once Upon a Mattress) Cinderella (Into the Woods) Lucille (Parade) |
"The Queen of the Night role is perhaps best known for the second of her two trapeze-act arias in “Flute,” which showcase the brave soprano’s extremely high coloratura range. Sparrow rose to the occasion with ease, and wowed the audience with her precision and range on both arias." - Do Savannah Review
“Rachel Sparrow has all the vocal talent she needs to portray Swedish opera star Jenny Lind.” – Chicago Reader
“Sparrow hits gorgeous operatic notes out of the park as Jenny Lind”
– Chicago Theater Beat
“Park has cast a bona fide opera singer, Rachel Sparrow, to play Barnum's "Swedish Nightingale," Jenny Lind. She does a lovely job with her solo.”
- Talkin’ Broadway Regional
“Four highly talented, charismatic voice students from Northwestern (Rachel Sparrow, soprano) combined to sing the Quartet from Rigoletto. Their stage presence and dramatic facial expressions added to the marvelous singing.”
– Kenosha, WI News
EducationMaster's of Opera Northwestern University
Bachelor's of Voice Idaho State University Bachelor's of Music Education, Idaho State University |
Special SkillsPiano (14 years); Violin (19 years); Character voices, Ear for mimicry of accents & dialects. Mouth Trumpet. Excellent sight-reader & quick memorizer; Movement: a singer that can dance a bit, but not a 'dancer'. Excellent Cartwheels. Other skills: Conducting, Teaching, Producing, Stage Directing, Fund raising, & Master of Ceremonies
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