Sarah Ihlefeld mezzo-soprano
Sarah Ihlefeld has established a reputation not only for her velvety, alto voice and radiant musicianship, but also for her warm personality and generosity of spirit. Sarah enjoys a varied career of opera, oratorio, choral and recital performance, as well as teaching a talented studio of musical theatre students at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where she has been on faculty since 2011. Sarah earned her Master of Music degree from Rice University after completing her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California, magna cum laude. Ever a champion of early music, Ms. Ihlefeld has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival, Houston Bach Society, New Mexico Bach Society, Aspen Music Festival and the Salem Chamber Orchestra. Recent operatic performances include Szymanowski’s King Roger at Santa Fe Opera, Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with the Santa Fe Symphony, Ramiro in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera, Mélisande in scenes from Debussy’s Pélleas et Mélisande, Olga in Weill’s Street Scene, and Eustazio in Händel’s Rinaldo. Ms. Ihlefeld also realized the role of Margaret Truman in the world premier performance of Primiani’s Truman Project for OPERA America. Recent local engagements include Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Santa Fe Symphony and Sangre de Cristo Chorale, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Durufle’s Requiem with members of Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico and the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and Rachmaninoff’s Vespers with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. In 2013, Sarah will record two discs with Grammy nominated professional chamber choir, Conspirare, and world-renowned classical label, Harmonia Mundi.
