Sara DeFranco

Soprano Sara DeFranco has been praised for commanding the stage with a "powerful sincerity" (UR Campus Times). An in-demand crossover artist, Sara has recently performed roles in musicals and opera such as the Ghost of Christmas Past in Menken's A Christmas Carol, Alice Murphy in Steve Martin's Bright Star, The Maid in a Rochester Fringe Festival production of The Polite Abductress, and has performed with the Finger Lakes Opera Chorus for three seasons. Sara was slated to perform as the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods at Gatesinger LTD, but performances were canceled due to COVID-19.

This fall, Sara was awarded the Phyllis Bryn-Julson Award in the Civic Morning Musicals Competition. She was also awarded 2nd place in the Kings Peak International Music Competition, and was a Finalist in the Fall 2020 Online Classical Singer Competition.

While studying at the Eastman School of Music, Sara performed the roles of Nora in Vaughan Williams' Riders to the Sea, a Spirit in Massenet's Cendrillon, and Camille in a staged production of Camille Claudel: Into the Fire, with coaching from composer Jake Heggie and lyricist Gene Scheer. Sara is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Opera and Concert Singing at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg.