SONIA GARIAEFF (mezzo-soprano) has received critical acclaim for her "vocal opulence" and "theatrical poise." Her operatic roles include Rosina, Cherubino, Carmen, Dorabella, Orlovsky, Nicklausse, and the title roles in La Cenerentola and Ariodante. Recent appearances have included Stéphano in Roméo et Juliette with with Opera San José, La Cenerentola with Fresno Grand Opera, soloist in the world premiere of Thea Musgrave's Voices for Peace in New York City, Preziosilla in Verdi's La Forza del Destino with Da Corneto Opera in Chicago, and Zita and the Mistress of Novices in Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica with the Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis. Ms. Gariaeff's 2007-08 season begins with her début at Virginia Opera as Nicklausse, The Muse and Voice of the Mother in Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Sep - Oct ‘07) and Cherubino with Houston's Opera in the Heights (Nov ‘07). She performs as soloist in Bach's Christmas Oratorio and various Cantatas with American Bach Soloists in January 2008. As a member of Portland Opera's Young Artist program she made her mainstage début as the Voice of Antonia's Mother in Les contes d'Hoffmann. Ms. Gariaeff has garnered major recognition in many prestigious vocal competitions including Grand Prize in the Carmel Music Society Vocal Competition, National Grand Finalist in the Loren L. Zachary Competition (2002 and 2004) district finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Awards (2000, 2003 and 2004) and Resident Artist with the San Francisco Opera Center in 2005 and 2006 season. She was also awarded the Virginia Best Adams Fellowship, through which she has performed with the Carmel Bach Festival. Her oratorio and concert work includes The Courtesan in a staged production of Stravinsky's Le Rossignol with the San Francisco Symphony and her New York concert début as Ariel in Sibelius's suites from The Tempest with the Sonos Chamber Orchestra. She recently returned to New York to sing Saint Theresa 2 in Four Saints in Three Acts with the Mark Morris Dance Group. She performed Schoenberg's Brettl-lieder as part of the Olympic Music Festival in Washington State. Of Russian descent, Sonia Gariaeff is originally from Gilroy, CA. She received her Master's degree in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and her Bachelor's degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She currently divides her time between San Francisco and New York.

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