Mezzo Soprano Elizabeth Sarian has been praised for her “pointed, wonderfully appealing lyric [mezzo] soprano” (Opera Today) and has been particularly celebrated for her portrayals of Mozart’s Cherubino as “one of the highlights of the performance, singing and acting and cross dressing” (Opera Gene) and whose “[…] joyful incarnation of Cherubino shone with a youthful voice and captivating interpretation [...]. (Opera News).

 

This season, Ms. Sarian is delighted to return to Opera Baltimore for her role debut of Nancy in Britten’s Albert Herring.  Highlights from the 2023/2024 season include her house debut with Opera Roanoke in Le nozze di Figaro to notable acclaim, her house debut with Knoxville Opera’s whimsical Cendrillon (Viardot), and a return to Opera Baltimore’s “Thirsty Thursdays at the Opera.”  Ms. Sarian also enjoyed performances of Handel’s Messiah with Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. 

 

For the 2022/2023 season, Ms. Sarian made her house debut in Annapolis Opera’s production of Le nozze di Figaro, where she was praised as “one of the highlights of the performance…” (Opera Gene).  Ms. Sarian was also slated to debut with Opera Baltimore as Siebel in Gounod’s Faust, regrettably cancelled due to illness.  Earlier in the season, Ms. Sarian returned to The Atlanta Opera, (her favorite score) to cover Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. 

 

Ms. Sarian’s 2021/2022 season brought much excitement—Ms. Sarian was a National Semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and was awarded the Sandra Warfield Prize at the Eastern Region of the competition (leading up to the Semifinals).  Ms. Sarian was previously a Semifinalist in the Houston Grand Opera Concert of Arias.  Shortly thereafter, Ms. Sarian joined Opera Theater of Saint Louis’ Gerdine Young Artist Program and made her house debut as Mama in Stewart Wallace’s Harvey Milk Reimagined.  Earlier that season, Ms. Sarian returned to The Atlanta Opera to portray Nireno in Giulio Cesare and cover Sesto.

 

Ms. Sarian is a proud alumna of The Atlanta Opera Studio, where she performed many roles including Flora in La Traviata, The Page in Salome, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, and Sister Lillianne in Dead Man Walking.  She was slated to perform the role of Kate Pinkerton (Suzuki cover) in Madama Butterfly (cancelled due to COVID-19).  Ms. Sarian is an alumna of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, the Central City Opera Bonfils-Stanton Artist Training Program, and the Opera North Resident Artist Program, where she made her debut as Purcell’s Dido.  Additional role credits include Stéphano in Romeo et Juliette, the title role in Massenet’s Chérubin, and Olga in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.

 

On the concert stage, Ms. Sarian has enjoyed many appearances in Handel’s Messiah, performances as Alto soloist in Elgar’s Sea Pictures (Opus 37), Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Mozart’s “Coronation Mass.”

 

Ms. Sarian holds both a Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy and Graduate Performance Diploma from The Peabody Institute at John Hopkins University.  She is an alumna of Hofstra University and a native of Long Island, New York.