Headshot by Ujin Studio
|
ABOUT SOFIAOriginally from Mechanicsburg, PA, soprano Sofia Mains is currently pursuing her Bachelors of Music at the Eastman School of Music, where she studies with Katherine Ciesinski.
This summer, Sofia joins the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center. While there, she will sing Susanna (study cover)/First Young Maid (Le nozze di Figaro), Doctor 1 (cover)/Chorus (The Falling and the Rising, Redler), and Josephine (study cover)/Chorus (H.M.S. Pinafore). She has previously performed as Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro) at the Wiener Festspiele (August 2025) and Papagena/First Spirit (The Magic Flute) with Arizona Lyric Theatre (May 2025). She also joined Finger Lakes Opera as an Apprentice Artist (July 2025), where she sang Jeannette (cover)/Chorus (The Anonymous Lover). Her partial roles include Musica (Il palazzo incantato), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Despina (Così fan tutte), and Ännchen (Der Freischütz). During her time at Brevard, Sofia will perform as a soloist in their concert An Evening of Lerner and Loewe. Her other concert work includes performing as the Soprano Soloist in Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich (BWV 150) as part of the Eastman Bach Cantata Series (November 2025) and as Ostiaria in Le Reniement de St. Pierre (Charpentier) with the Eastman Repertory Singers (April 2024). She has sung the National Anthem for evenets such as the International Judo Championships at the New York Athletic Club (March 2023). Sofia has sung with ensembles including Eastman’s renowned Baroque vocal ensemble, Collegium Musicum, directed by Paul O’Dette. Sofia was a Finalist in the Philharmonic Society of Arlington’s Tannenwald Young Artist Competition (2025). She won Second Prize in the Advanced Junior 1 category of the New York Classical Music Competition (2025) and 3rd Place in Category B2 of the International Mozart Competition Vienna (2024). She placed 3rd in the Second Year Post-High School Treble division of the NATS Finger Lakes Region Competition (2024) and previously was a three-time regional Finalist in the Schmidt Vocal Arts High School Competition. Sofia has attended summer festivals and young artist programs including Brevard Music Center (2026), Finger Lakes Opera (2025), Vienna Opera Academy (2025), OperaViva! in Verona, Italy (2024); the International Vocal Artists Academy of Payerbach (2022, 2023) in Payerbach, Austria; and the Washington National Opera Institute (2021). She has recently sung in masterclasses with Mark Padmore, Nicole Cabell, and Vladimir Chernov. Sofia is passionate about community outreach and currently works as an Engagement Artist with Finger Lakes Opera. She has previously worked with Washington National Opera to volunteer with preschool students. She is conversationally fluent in German and Italian and is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota. When Sofia isn’t singing, she enjoys baking, reading, and exploring Rochester, NY, where she currently lives and studies. |
