Sophia Stark

• High school graduate at age 16 (summa cum laude) with 42 college credits
• GE Reagan Foundation Scholarship- finalist
• Coca-Cola Foundation Scholars semi-finalist
• Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Essay prize wi Operinner
• Hawaii Opera Theatre Young Voices Studio full scholarship
• Nā hōkū ‘ōpio Young Stars Competition Winner 2021- perform with the Hawaii Symphony
• Miss Hawaii Teen Volunteer 2021
• Illustrated a Children's Book by Ralph Nader, "I Lost My Bontalona" published 2021
• Miss Hawaii's Outstanding Teen 2018
• Operatic debut at age 8 Shepherd Boy in Tosca with Hawaii Opera Theatre
• Spirit No.1 in Magic Flute Hawaii Opera Theatre
• Cobweb in Midsummer Night's Dream Hawaii Opera Theatre
• Yum-Yum in Mikado and Mabel in Pirates of Penzance both for Hawaii Opera Theatre's virtual opera program 2020-2021
• Appeared in over seven main-stage operas
• MasterChef Junior Contestant FOX network season 6 Top 18

Born and raised in Hawaii, 16 year old Sophia Stark exemplifies the spirit of aloha by sharing her artistic talents island-wide and beyond. She spread the beauty of Hawaiian culture by traveling to China where she sang in concert, taught and performed hula for children in Shanghai. She made her operatic debut at age 8, as the Shepherd Boy in Hawaii Opera Theatre’s production of “Tosca”. Sophia also appeared as Spirit No.1 in “The Magic Flute”, Cobweb in “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and sang chorus in “Carmen”, “ Madame Butterfly”, “Il Pagliacci”, and “Carmina Burana” all Hawaii Opera Theatre productions. She also performed as Ngana in the Diamond Head Theatre production of “South Pacific” directed by Tony nominated, Loretta Ables Sayre. She is a member and full scholarship recipient in Hawaii Opera Theatre's Orvis Young Artists program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sophia has performed in two virtual Hawaii Theatre productions; Yum-Yum in "The Mikado" and Mabel in "Pirates of Penzance". Sophia has won local vocal competitions and has performed on local television. Since age 5, she has performed with her musical family for various senior centers and residences on Oahu. Sophia is to perform with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra this summer 2021 as one of three winners in the Nā hōkū ‘ōpio Young Stars Competition 2021 sponsored by the Hawaii Symphony.

She has testified at the Hawaii State Culture and the Arts hearings as an advocate for grant funding to be given to the Hawaii Opera Theatre. Sophia has also spoken at Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and Hawaii State Public Library events to raise awareness for arts education in local schools and the community. As the newly crowned inaugural title holder, Miss Hawaii Teen Volunteer 2021, she will continue to be a voice for her platform of advocating for the arts as well as a spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

Sophia embraces all forms of art. In the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, her concept art drawing, depicting a car designed to help the elderly suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia, earned her the titles of USA winner and top 10 world winner (including an all expenses paid trip to Japan for the award ceremony) trip to Japan. There she was able to exchange ideas and stories with youth from around the globe. Partnering with the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation, Sophia visits local schools and offers cooking demonstrations to promote healthy living. Her passion for the culinary arts landed her a spot on the FOX network’s hit TV cooking show, MasterChef Junior, where she won a coveted white apron. As Miss Hawaii’s Outstanding Teen 2018, Sophia organized and executed a fundraiser dinner for the Children’s Miracle Network at Roy’s Hawaii Kai, working alongside acclaimed chef, Roy Yamaguchi. Sophia was scheduled to be a co-emcee at the Western States Youth Gathering in California last summer however, this was cancelled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Sophia can be seen modeling and acting for TV, commercials, and film. Sophia enjoys playing piano, church organ and dancing ballet, jazz, tap, hula and Tahitian. As a volunteer at a local pre-school, she shares her love of dance by teaching ballet and jazz to young students. She has received numerous scholarships from the American Guild of Organists (Hawaii Chapter) and organ scholarships from a local church. This home schooled scholar has won the Veterans of Foreign Wars 2021 Voice of Democracy Essay Contest, GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship finalist, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation semi-finalist, Ready for the Real World Community Service Award*, Academic Award for highest GPA*, various University of Hawaii Foundation Scholarships*, Thom McGarvey Talent Award*, full scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music*, Miss Hawaii’s Outstanding Teen 2018, and the Miss Congeniality Award at Miss America’s Outstanding Teen national competition in Florida.

* to be awarded upon college acceptance

A recent highlight for Sophia has been her collaboration with former US Presidential candidate and political activist, Ralph Nader. She illustrated a newly published children's book titled, "I Lost My Bontalona", written by Mr. Nader. It was published in 2021 and teaches kids, and parents alike, that sometimes when you are looking for something you have lost, you eventually find it where it was supposed to be in the first place.

Sophia's future goals are two-fold, first to share her love of the stage by studying musical theatre in New York City in hopes of performing on Broadway and secondly, she aspires to provide performing arts instruction for underprivileged children and teens.