Sonia Gariaeff - Mezzo Soprano

Ms. Gariaeff as Nicklausse in Les contes d'Hoffmann

PRESS ACCLAIM

In The Tales of Hoffmann (Virginia Opera début):

"In the trouser role of Hoffmann's sidekick, protector and secret muse Nicklausse, mezzo-soprano Sonia Gariaeff was forceful yet unobtrusive until her dramatic final entrance and transformation into Hoffmann's true Muse, helping make the Epilogue-Finale an emotional tour de force."

T. L. Ponick - Washington Times - Oct 11, 2007

"In the trouser role of Hoffmann's friend Nicklausse, as well as his Muse and the voice of Antonia's mother, mezzo-soprano Sonia Gariaeff uses her rich, dark, beautifully rounded tone to considerable effect."

M. D. Ridge - Port Folio Weekly (VA) - Oct 2, 2007

"Supporting roles were strongly sung and characterized, particularly the multiple turns of mezzo-soprano Sonia Gariaeff."

Paul Sayegh - The Virginian Pilot - Sep 30, 2007

"As Hoffman's muse, and in other roles, Sonia Gariaeff, is a standout presence as well and wears her coats of many colors with an air of confidence."

Loessin at Large - WHRO Radio - Sep 29, 2007

Finding Her Voice New York - Sonia Gariaeff appears to be a normal 30-year-old woman, though she looks a bit younger. She's well-dressed, with an air of excitement and youthful energy. She flashes me a bright smile as she takes off her coat and slides into a chair at a Starbucks in the upper west side of New York City. I am here on vacation; Gariaeff is here to work. "This is audition season," Gariaeff says. "All the opera singers come to New York." Gariaeff is a professional opera singer, a mezzo-soprano, to be exact. From her roots as a piano student and chamber singer in Gilroy, her hometown, she has gone on to sing in dozens of operas. Most recently, she played Stefano in Opera San Jose's "Romeo and Juliet." She is in New York for 10 weeks, auditioning for roles that might debut anywhere in the country. "I'm really trying to stop performing only on the west coast," Gariaeff says. "I don't want to get into a rut." In a highly competitive business, Gariaeff's success is significant. She has been interested in music since early childhood when, as legend goes, she became obsessed with the musical "Annie." After that she auditioned for a talent show, and caught the attention of a community theater director, who cast her in the musical "Cinderella." "I was cast as one of the stepsisters," Gariaeff recalls. "I was upset about that. But I just got hooked on musical theater. I got the theater bug." Her mother supported her interest, enrolling her in piano lessons and ballet. She remembers her teachers: Gilroy music educators Carol Harris, Faith Peterman, Susie Roberts, and, in junior high, Phil Robb. "When she first sang with me in junior high, she was lower, usually an alto," Robb said. "I remember the early days, working on intonation with her." Though she knew she was ambitious, and wanted to do something "awesome," Gariaeff says she didn't quite hit on the idea of singing opera until college, at University of California Santa Cruz. There, it occurred to her that she could sing classical music - which she had already decided she loved - and act at the same time. "I hadn't seen an opera until I was on the way to being a singer," says Gariaeff. Her first opera was "Turano," by Puccini, which concerns an evil seductress, a role Gariaeff says doesn't appeal to her very much. She wasn't sure she liked opera until she started taking opera workshops. "I like to be onstage, to create a character, to explore someone's inner workings," Gariaeff says. It is this aspect of creating a character that continues to fuel her love for her profession. Most opera singers perfect 10 or so roles, playing them three or four times in their careers, and Gariaeff has her own favorite role. "I love playing the sassy pageboys'" says Gariaeff. "They're always the ones to wreak havoc in the show. It's so much fun." As a mezzo-soprano, Gariaeff is well-suited to play adolescents, and has garnered excellent reviews for her performances as Cherubino, in "The Marriage of Figaro." She has followed the role from West Bay Opera, to Berkeley Opera, to Avenue Opera in Missouri. Though the part requires plenty of acting, Gariaeff says she focuses most of the theatrics into her music. "There's so much going on technically, with the singing," Gariaeff says. "If you try too hard to act, to really feel sadness or hate or whatever, you'll screw up your throat." After college, Gariaeff earned a master's degree in vocal performance at the San Francisco Conservatory, and became a Young Artist at the Portland Opera. The rest is history - mostly great reviews and awards, including Grand Prize at the Carmel Music Society Vocal Competition in 2002. Although the business is cutthroat ("it's not the romper room anymore"), Gariaeff says she has nevertheless loved the people opera has led her to meet, and picked up some German, Italian and French through singing. "All my knowledge of foreign languages has to do with love, birds, war," Gariaeff laughs. "Not how to get directions or ask where the bathroom is." She has sung in southern France and Spain as part of a choir tour, and spent a month in England for a job. Her best audiences, she says, are in the Bay Area. Gariaeff will be performing for the United Nations in March. "When you work in an opera, you live somewhere that's not home for three or four weeks, doing intense work, basically singing in someone's face," said Gariaeff. "You have to find people in the cast and become friends with them in three days." Gariaeff's home base is San Francisco, "where my stuff lives." She remembers fondly a Gilroy before the outlets, and remarks that when she comes home now she has to navigate through freeway exits that didn't exist when she grew up here. Her parents, Nick and Polly Gariaeff, still live in Gilroy. "We knew she could do this," Polly Gariaeff says of her daughter. "She could get up and sing in front of a group of people at age 5." Polly Gariaeff says Gilroy was an excellent place for her daughter to develop her skills, and that Sonia was happy with the choir program at Gilroy High, which "kept her focused." "We're so happy for her, because how many of us are able to go after our passion?" said Gariaeff. "She's taking risks, and has to be brave, because it's not an easy business." "It's very competitive," Robb agreed. "It really takes a certain kind of person to sing opera. Most people think opera is just a fat lady with horns. They don't understand that opera is drama, death, blood, everything in the movies." Before the interview ends, Gariaeff mentions that she'll be flying off to Chicago the next day for an audition. Since opera singers' careers can last past retirement age, Gariaeff sees a long, successful career ahead of her. "I just want to keep singing, and be the best artist I can be," Gariaeff gushes, and for a second becomes the spirited adolescent she has won so much praise for playing.

Jen Penkethman - Special to the Dispatch (Gilroy) - Dec 28, 2006

As Preziosilla in Verdi's La Forza del Destino:

"Mezzo Sonia Gariaeff sparkled as the gypsy Preziosilla."

Chicago Sun Times - Apr 2007

As Stéphano in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette: (Opera San José)

"Mezzo Sonia Gariaeff, impishly perfect in the pants part of Stéphano, Roméo's page, provides delightful comic relief in the aria 'Depuis hier je cherche en vain mon maître!' She energetically seizes her solo moment on stage and masterfully nails the song to the barn door - a fine, memorable performance."

Out and About Magazine - Sep. 2006

"Mezzo-soprano Sonia Gariaeff was alarmingly good in the role of Stephano, the page; this woman has a voice!"

Richard Scheinin - Mercury News - Sep 12, 2006

As Soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (with the Marin Symphony Orchestra):

"Mezzo soprano Sonia Gariaeff was by far the most impressive singer of the solo vocal quartet. Her rich, round tone was captivating. As a proactive artist and performer, she was consistently and authentically involved with the music and text that she was singing. She was a joy to be with and to hear. We would have loved the remaining trio of singers to have reached her level of performance. Gariaeff was generating all kinds of goodness in her singing and was clearly connected to the text of her music. Brava!"

North Bay Classical Music

As Flora in Albinoni's serenata Il nascimento dello'Aurora (with the City Concert Opera Orchestra - San Francisco):

"Even lusher was the voice of Flora, sung by mezzo soprano Sonia Gariaeff. In five arias, the audience was treated to the full and pleasing range of her capabilities for rich sustained notes and quick acrobatics. A real standout was her 'Quando nasce il Ciel l'Aurora' (when Aurora is born in heaven)."

San Francisco Classical Voice

As Amoroso in Offenbach's Carnival in Venice (with Pocket Opera):

"…but one singer just blew them all away, without trying, without meaning to … a very young singer with a very mature combination of vibrato, projection, and a quality of excitement without pushing. In the trouser role of Amoroso, Gariaeff was eager, romantic, intense and yet staying within Offenbach's comic idiom."

Opera-L

As "Bill Orlovsky" in Strauss' Die Fledermaus (with Berkeley Opera):

"Sonia Gariaeff found in Bill Orlovsky an ideal vehicle for her comedic talents. Outfitted with a baseball cap (worn backwards, of course) and a geek-like slouch that concealed her femininity, her initial entry as a bored, immature, high-voiced geek was so convincing that her switch to rich mezzo vocalism came as a shock. The recent Grand Prize-winner in the Carmel Music Society Vocal Competition, twice a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, Gariaeff has gained added freedom and shine at the top of her voice, suggesting readiness for bigger stages."

Opera News

"Sung superbly by Sonia Gariaeff, 'Bill Orlovsky' becomes the focal point of not only Act 2, but of the whole evening. As she slouches about, with a baseball cap turned around, electronic equipment dangling from her belt, Gariaeff evokes both constant smiles and many loud guffaws, keeping the character entertaining and 'meaningful' within the context of the piece."

Berkeley Daily Planet

"Sonia Gariaeff,has the sulky teenager thing down perfectly and she was hysterical as Bill Orlofsky. She also sang terrifically, her mezzo coming out pure and full. Both of her solo numbers were rhythmically light, not overstressed."

San Francisco Classical Voice

"…Sonia Gariaeff's Orlovsky, all gangly petulance and robust vocalism, was also a delight."

San Francisco Chronicle

(with Eugene Opera):

"In the trouser role of the bored Russian Prince Orlovsky, Sonia Gariaeff did a marvelous job. Her voice is lush, and she admirably negotiated the difficult register breaks in 'Chacun a son gout.'"

The Register-Guard

As Cherubino in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro:

"Cherubino, played by Sonia Gariaeff, produced a witty, delightfully acted and gracefully sung performance rounding out a talented cast."

San Francisco Classical Voice

"Sonia Gariaeff almost steals the show in the male role of Cherubino, the slap-happy, testosterone-driven 14-year-old page to the Count who desires just about every female around…"

San Mateo Times

"Sonia Gariaeff, the Cherubino, was a standout, featuring a warm, supple tone, well supported throughout her range (even on roller skates), and clear diction."

San Francisco Classical Voice

(with West Bay Opera):

"And what is The Marriage of Figaro without the lusty exuberance of Cherubino? Sonia Gariaeff proved up to the task with a wonderful mezzo soprano voice with an amazing high extension. She was utterly believable as the adolescent youth, negotiating both 'Non so più' and 'Voi che sapete' with vocal agility and ease. Her coltish figure and boyish demeanor were believable and endearing."

San Francisco Classical Voice

"She managed the knack of playing an adolescent boy without once falling into mawkishness or relying on clichéd gestures…Vocally she was just as fresh and unaffected."

Palo Alto Weekly

(with Berkeley Opera):

"Sonia Gariaeff's irresistible rollerblading, spike haired Cherubino almost stole the show, her range and richness perfect for "Voi che sapete."

Opera News

As Rosina in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia (with West Bay Opera):

"…she's terrific. Her character is tough, cunning, smart, sneaky, fierce, feminine, tender, loving and fun. Gariaeff shows all those different sides while singing beautifully and almost effortlessly."

Palo Alto Weekly

As Cenerentola in Rossini's La Cenerentola (with Bayshore Lyric Opera):

"Mezzo Sonia Gariaeff was Cinderella herself, vocally opulent and theatrically poised between innocence, humility, enthusiasm and generosity. As her character rose with the occasion, so did her singing, arriving full-flowered in the famous final scene, "Naqui, all' affanno."

Metro Santa Cruz

As L'Architecture in Rameau's Les Arts Florissants (with Opera Lafayette):

"As L'Architecture, mezzo soprano Sonia Gariaeff displayed a beautiful voice, the cutting edge and volume of which suggested that she, like (Christine) Brandes can easily prevail in larger venues."

Opera News

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Ms. Gariaeff as Nicklausse in Les contes d'Hoffmann

OPERA PERFORMANCES - SELECTED

Cherubino	Le Nozze di Figaro	Opera in the Heights	2007
Nicklausse/The Muse/ The Voice of the Mother	Les Contes d'Hoffmann	Virginia Opera: Norfolk, Fairfax, Richmond	2007
Zita	Gianni Schicchi	Union Avenue Opera (MO)	2007
Mistress of Novices	Suor Angelica	Union Avenue Opera (MO)	2007
Preziosilla	La Forza del Destino	Da Corneto Opera (Chicago)	2007
Tisbe	La Cenerentola	Fresno Opera	2007
Cherubino	Le nozze di Figaro	Union Avenue Opera Theatre, MO	2006
Stéphano	Roméo et Juliette	Opera San José, CA	2006
Rosina	Il barbiere di Siviglia	Eugene Opera, OR	2006
		West Bay Opera, CA	2004
Orlovsky	Die Fledermaus	Eugene Opera, OR	2005
		Berkeley Opera, CA	2003
Annio	La clemenza di Tito	West Bay Opera, CA	2004
Nicklausse/Muse (cover)	Les contes d'Hoffmann	Portland Opera, OR	2003
		West Bay Opera, CA	2001
Antonia's Mother	Les contes d'Hoffmann	Portland Opera, OR	2003
Angelina	La Cenerentola	Portland Opera Works, OR	2003
Cherubino	Le nozze di Figaro	West Bay Opera, CA	2002
Dorabella	Così fan tutte	San Francisco Lyric, CA	2003
Siebel	Faust	West Bay Opera, CA	2001

OTHER ROLES PERFORMED

Ariodante, Isabella, Dido/Sorceress, Isolier, Smeton, Miss Todd, Hänsel, Mercedes, Iolanthe, Marcellina, Mrs. Ott, and Third Lady

ORATORIO & CONCERT EXPERIENCE
AS SOLOIST - SELECTED

SOLOIST	Bach Christmas Oratorio and Cantatas	American Bach Soloists	2008
SOLOIST	Voices of Power & Protest by Thea Musgrave WORLD PREMIERE	Ethical Culture Society, NYC The United Nations, NYC	2007
SOLOIST	The Grandeur of Opera	Princeton Pro Musica, NJ	2006
Saint Theresa 2	Four Saints in Three Acts	Mark Morris Dance Group, NY	2006
Stravinsky	Le Rossignol	San Francisco Symphony, CA	2006
Beethoven	Trauer Kantate	Carmel Bach Festival, CA	2005
Sibelius	The Tempest	SONOS Chamber Orchestra, NY	2005
Schumann	Das Paradies und die Peri	San Francisco Symphony, CA	2005
Schoenberg	Brettl-leider	Olympic Music Festival, WA	2002

Ms. Gariaeff as Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro

OPERA & OPERETTA

Bizet	Carmen	Carmen	2
		Mercedes	1
Donizetti	Anna Bolena	Smeton	1
Floyd	Susanna	Mrs. Ott	1
Gluck	Orfeo ed Euridice	Orfeo	3
Gounod	Faust	Siébel	1
	Roméo et Juliette	Stefano	2
Händel	Alcina	Ruggiero	3
	Ariodante	Ariodante	1
	Giulio Cesare in Egitto	Giulio Cesare	3
		Cornelia	3
		Sestus	2
Humperdinck	Hänsel und Gretel	Hänsel	1
Massenet	Cendrillon	The Prince	3
	Werther	Charlotte	3
Menotti	The Counsul	The Secretary	3
	The Old Maid and the Thief	Miss Todd	1
Mozart	Così fan tutte	Dorabella	1
	Don Giovanni	Donna Elvira	2
	Idomoneo	Idamante	3
	La Clemenza di Tito	Annio	1
	Le Nozze di Figaro	Cherubino	1
		Marcellina	1
	Die Zauberflöte	Third Lady	1
Offenbach	Les Contes d'Hoffmann	Niklaus	1
		Antonia's Mother	1
Purcell	Dido and Aeneas	Dido	1
		Sorceress	1
Puccini	La Rondine	Suzy	1
	Tosca	Shepherd Boy	1
Rorem	Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters	Ellen	1
Rossini	Il Barbiere di Siviglia	Rosina	1
	La Cenerentola	Angelina	1
		Tisbe	2
	Le Comte Ory	Isolier	1
	L'Italiana in Algeri	Isabella	1
Strauus, J.	Die Feldermaus	Orlovsky	1
Strauss, R.	Ariadne auf Naxos	Composer	3
	Der Rosenkavalier	Octavian	3
Sullivan	Iolanthe	Iolanthe	1
Tchaikovsky	Eugene Onegin	Olga	3
	Maid of Orleans (in Russian)	Joan	1
Thompson	Four Saints in Three Acts	Saint Theresa	1
Verdi	Rigoletto	Maddalena	3

1	performed
2	completely prepared
3	in preparation

EDUCATION & TRAINING

San Francisco Opera Center	Resident Artist in Education
Portland Opera	Young Artist
San Francisco Conservatory	MM in Vocal Performance
University of California	BA in Music

Ms. Gariaeff as The Muse in Les contes d'Hoffmann

AWARDS, HONORS & DISTINCTIONS

District Finalist	Metropolitan National Council Awards	2001, 2002, 2004
National Grand Finalist	Loren L. Zachary Competition	2002, 2004
Grand Prize Winner	Carmel Music Society Vocal Competition	2003
Virginia Best Adams Fellowship	Carmel Bach Festival	2005

TEACHERS, CONDUCTORS, DIRECTORS,
COACHES & MASTERCLASSES

David Gordon, Jeffrey Thomas, Frederica Von Stade, Michael Beattie, Jake Heggie, Daniel Lockert, Thomas Hampson, Christopher Harlan, Ron Luchsinger, Peter Grunberg, Sheri Greenawald, Bruno Weil, and Nicholas McGegan.

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