Headshot by Ujin Studio
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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 makes her role debuts as Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Vienna Opera Academy (August 2025) and Papagena/First Spirit (The Magic Flute) with Arizona Lyric Theatre (May 2025). She also joins Finger Lakes Opera as an Apprentice Artist (July 2025), where she will sing Jeannette (cover)/Chorus (The Anonymous Lover). Sofia has previously sung Ostiaria (Le Reniement de St. Pierre) with the Eastman Repertory Singers (April 2024). Other partial roles include Musica (Il palazzo incantato), Despina (Così fan tutte), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), and Ännchen (Der Freischütz). Sofia has extensive experience as a recitalist and has performed multiple solo and joint recitals in New York and Pennsylvania. She is an in-demand singer of the National Anthem, and has sung for events 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 Vienna Opera Academy (2025), Finger Lakes Opera (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 Nicole Cabell, Kathleen Kelly, and Vladimir Chernov. Sofia is conversationally fluent in German and Italian. She is passionate about opera-based community outreach and citizen artistry, and has worked with Washington National Opera to volunteer with preschool students. Sofia also values academic achievement and serves as a Student Alumni Ambassador and the editor of Sigma Alpha Iota at Eastman. When Sofia isn’t singing, she enjoys baking, reading, and exploring Rochester, NY, where she currently lives and studies. |
