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.
Sofia most recently made her role debuts 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). Sofia’s 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), conducted by Joshua Johnstone, and as Ostiaria in Le Reniement de St. Pierre (Charpentier) with the Eastman Repertory Singers (April 2024), conducted by Hannah Duff. She 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 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 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. |
