Sara Jakubiak
Vocalists
— Soprano
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Manager: Damon Bristo
Management Territory: Worldwide
“If the most powerful moments come from ENO’s superlative orchestra, it is not for want of interest on stage, especially when Sara Jakubiak’s Marie is singing. This luscious-voiced American, new to these shores, is an exciting performer, with a radiant upper register and good diction – she must be invited back.” —Andrew Clark, Financial Times, May 13, 2013 - Marie in 'Wozzeck' at the English National Opera
“As for soprano Sara Jakubiak, she was a revelation. Prodigious technical resources ensured that her vocal lustre never degraded, even in stratospheric passages, while dramatically she invested Marie with the shameful desires of a lonely soul.” —Mark Valencia, The Classical Source, May 12, 2013 - Marie in 'Wozzeck' at the English National Opera
“Ms. Jakubiak sings with glowing sound and tenderness. But as the disturbing story of the previous governess and the former valet is revealed to her by the housekeeper, Ms. Jakubiak’s composure breaks down, and she turns increasingly frenzied.” —Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, February 25, 2013 - The Governess in 'Turn of the Screw' at NYCO
About
American soprano Sara Jakubiak has been praised by the New York Times for her "plush-voiced, impressive soprano" and by Opera News as a “talented, highly musical singer.”
With her career rapidly expanding in North America and now Europe, she will make her debut at the English National Opera as Marie in a new production of 'Wozzeck' under Edward Gardner and Semperoper Dresden as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus in the 2012 – 2013 season. She will also return to New York City Opera as the Governess in 'The Turn of the . . . Screw', a new production by Sam Buntrock. In concert, she will perform Penderecki’s Polish Requiem conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki with Orquesta Sinfónica de la Juventud Venezolana Simón Bolívar in Caracas, Venezuela.
Next season, she debuts at Oper Graz as Elsa in a new production of 'Lohengrin', as Diemut in Richard Strauss’s 'Feuersnot' at Teatro Massimo in Palermo, and at Oper Frankfurt as Marta in a revival of 'Tiefland'. She will also be seen with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in Mozart concert arias under the baton of James Gaffigan. Ms. Jakubiak will begin the as a member of the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt in 2014 – 2015 singing Mozart, Strauss, Wagner, and Verdi, among others.
Ms. Jakubiak’s 2011-2012 season included a triumphant return to New York City Opera in Christopher Alden’s new production of 'Così fan tutte' as Fiordiligi, in which she “wielded her lustrous voice to fine effect as a brazen Fiordiligi” (The Economist). Additionally, she debuted as Eurydice in Philip Glass’s 'Orphée' at Virginia Opera, was soloist in Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Cape Cod Symphony, and performed Fiora in a concert version of Montemezzi's 'L'amore dei tre re' with Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw under the baton of Lucasz Borowitcz, which is to be released on recording.
In 2010-11 she made her New York City Opera debut as Dede in a new, ground-breaking production of Bernstein's 'A Quiet Place' by Christopher Alden, also appearing in concert in "Lucky to Be Me" for NYCO; her debut with Minnesota Opera as Catherine Earnshaw in Herrmann's 'Wuthering Heights'; sang as soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; and in recital for Music at Bunker Hill.
Recent operatic engagements have seen her as Beatrice in Jake Heggie's 'Three Decembers' alongside celebrated mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, Mimì in 'La bohème' with Tulsa Opera and Syracuse Opera, Donna Elvira in 'Don Giovanni' with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, Countess in 'Le nozze di Figaro' with both the Seoul Arts Center in Korea and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and as cover for Patricia Racette as Magda in 'La rondine' with Los Angeles Opera. Ms. Jakubiak was an apprentice artist at Santa Fe Opera in 2007, where she covered both the title role in Strauss's 'Daphne' and Mimì in 'La bohème', as well as performed the title roles in both 'Jenufa' and 'Rusalka' in a program of opera scenes.
Sara Jakubiak's concert performances include Schumann's "Scenes from Goethe's Faust" with the American Symphony Orchestra, Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder with Symphony Pro Musica, soloist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in an opera gala concert, and appearing as soloist in Mendelssohn's 'Elijah' with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, Britten's War Requiem, Mahler's Symphony No. 2, and Penderecki's 'Credo' conducted by the composer with the Yale Philharmonic. She has also performed as soloist in Beethoven's Mass in C with the Beethoven Festival in Warsaw and sung Messaien's 'Poèmes pour Mi' in recital at Yale. Ms. Jakubiak is featured on the Naxos label's eight-volume collection of Charles Ives songs in the series "American Classics", released in 2008.
Ms. Jakubiak holds master's degrees from both Yale University and the Cleveland Institute of Music. She has appeared as Fiordiligi in 'Così fan tutte', Varvara in 'Kát'a Kabanová', Mimì in 'La bohème', and Helena in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' with Yale Opera. Other operatic highlights while in school include the roles of Giorgetta in 'Il tabarro' and appearing in Purcell's 'Fairy Queen' with the Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, Italy as well as both the Countess in 'Le nozze di Figaro' and Blanche de la Force in 'Dialogues des Carmélites' with the Cleveland Institute of Music. During her time as a studio artist at Central City Opera she appeared in a program of opera scenes as the title role in Floyd's 'Susannah' and Elettra in 'Idomeneo', as well as performed the role of Musetta in concert excerpts with Maestro Paul Nadler and the Southwest Florida Symphony.
Ms. Jakubiak was a Regional Finalist in the 2007 National Council Auditions and was also the recipient of the Judith Raskin Memorial Award from Santa Fe Opera in 2007.
(Updated May 2013)
