RachelWillis-Sørensen

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  • Soprano

About Rachel

American soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen is known for her diverse repertoire ranging from Mozart to Wagner. A regular guest at the leading opera houses around the world, Le Monde enthused, "…the American soprano has without a doubt one of the most impressive voices in the opera world. The timbre, of marmoreal beauty, is striking, the projection telluric..." In 2021, Rachel signed a multi-record deal with Sony Classical. Her debut album was released on April 8th, 2022, and her second CD, Strauss: Vier Letzte Lieder, came out on March 10th, 2023.

Ms. Willis-Sørensen’s 2024/25 season includes four Verdi roles, an exciting bel canto role debut, and her house debut at Teatro di San Carlo. She begins her operatic season with a return to the role of Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus) in concert with Les Musiciens du Louvre, conducted by Marc Minkowski. She then returns to the Metropolitan Opera to perform her first Verdi role of the season: Leonora (Il Trovatore), a role which she returns to in March 2025 at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. In the winter, she makes her house debut at the Teatro di San Carlo with another Verdi role, Elisabetta in Don Carlo, and makes her house debut at the Philharmonie de Paris in a concert version of Verdi’s La Traviata under the baton of Jérémie Rhorer. In the Spring, Ms. Willis-Sørensen makes her role and house debut as the title-role in Bellini’s Norma at the Staatsoper Berlin. Returning to the Bayerische Staatsoper during the spring and summer months, her first engagement in Munich includes a return to the role of Elisabetta, followed by Elsa in Wagner’s Lohengrin. She makes her Bulgarian debut performing a Gala concert alongside Jonas Kaufmann and the Sofia Philharmonic in September, and returns to Carnegie Hall for the Richard Tucker Gala in October, having made her recital debut there last season. She makes her debut with the National Symphony Orchestra performing Strauss’ Four Last Songs conducted by Noseda and in the Summer, she performs Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder with the Münchner Philharmoniker, followed by her final Verdi role of the season as the soprano in his Requiem with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Previous engagements include Elisabeth (Don Carlos) (in French) with Lyric Opera of Chicago and Grand Théâtre de Genève , Rusalka (Rusalka) at the San Francisco Opera and NDR Hamburg, Antonia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann) at Opéra national de Paris, Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier) at Glyndebourne, Semperoper Dresden, Santa Fe Opera and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Violetta (La Traviata) at Opéra national de Bordeaux, LA Opera and the Bayerische Staatsoper, Marguerite (Faust) as part of the Royal Opera House’s tour of Japan, Elsa (Lohengrin) at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opernhaus Zurich, Bayerische Staatsoper and Oper Frankfurt, Desdemona (Otello) at the Wiener Staatsoper, LA Opera and the Bayerische Staatsoper, Ariadne (Ariadne auf Naxos) on tour to Hong Kong with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Mimi (La Bohème) at the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Wiener Staatsoper and Semperoper Dresden, Countess (Le nozze di Figaro) at the Metropolitan Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper and the Wiener Staatsoper, Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wiener Staatsoper, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Semperoper Dresden, Hélène (Les Vêpres siciliennes) at the Bayerische Staatsoper and Elena in the Italian version (I Vespri Siciliani) at the Wiener Staatsoper, Valentine (Les Huguenots) at the Grand Théâtre Genève, Eva (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) at the San Francisco Opera and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes) at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden and the Wiener Staatsoper, Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte) at the Houston Grand Opera, Leonore (Fidelio) at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, and Leonora (Il Trovatore) at the Teatro Regio di Torino, the Royal Opera House and Gran Teatre del Liceu.

Equally at home on the concert stage, she has performed Strauss's Four Last Songs multiple times, including notably at Buckingham Palace for an HRH Prince Charles birthday celebration, and joined Jonas Kaufmann in 2019 and 2020 for a multi-city European tour in support of his recording, Wien, on which she is featured. She made her recital debut at Carnegie Hall in April 2024. Other repertoire includes Mahler’s 2nd, 4th and 8th Symphonies, Mendelssohn’s Elias, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder and the Verdi Requiem.

In 2021, Rachel signed a multi-record deal with Sony Classical. Her debut album was released on April 8th, 2022, and her second CD, Strauss: Vier Letzte Lieder, came out on March 10th, 2023.

Rachel was a member of the ensemble at the Dresdner Semperoper for three years, where she sang the title role in (Die Lustige Witwe), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Vitellia (La clemenza di Tito), Elettra (Idomeneo), Diemut (Feuersnot), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus) and Mimi (La Bohème). She won first prize at the 2014 Operalia competition in Los Angeles and at the 2011 Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, and she was a winner of the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Brigham Young University and is an alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. An active presence on social media, she can be found on instagram, facebook and tiktok @rachewillissorensen and on X under @RWSing.

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Contact

Grace Hewett

Grace Hewett

Assistant Artist Manager

Representation

Worldwide general management with Askonas Holt

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Season Highlights

Oct 2024
The Kennedy Center
Strauss Four Last Songs National Symphony Orchestra Washington Gianandrea Noseda (conductor)
Oct 2024 - Nov 2024
The Metropolitan Opera
Verdi Il Trovatore (Leonora) Daniele Callegari (conductor)
Jan 2025
Teatro di San Carlo
Verdi Don Carlo (Elisabetta di Valois) Henrik Nánási (conductor)
Feb 2025 - Mar 2025
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Verdi Il Trovatore (Leonora) Giacomo Sagripanti (conductor)
Apr 2025
Staatsoper Berlin
Bellini Norma (title role) Francesco Lanzillotta (conductor)
May 2025
Bayerische Staatsoper
Verdi Don Carlo (Elisabeth von Valois) Zubin Mehta (conductor)
Jul 2025
Bayerische Staatsoper
Wagner Lohengrin (Elsa von Brabant) Sebastian Weigle (conductor)

Video

Photos

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Selected Repertoire

Bellini

Norma

Britten

Peter Grimes (Ellen Orford)

Dvořák

Rusalka (title role)

Gounod

Faust (Marguerite)

Handel

Alcina (title role)

Johann Strauss II

Die Fledermaus (Rosalinde)   •   

Lehar

Die lustige Witwe (title role)

Massenet

Thais (title role)

Meyerbeer

Les Huguenots (Valentine)

Mozart

Così fan tutte (Fiordiligi)   •   Don Giovanni (Donna Anna)   •   Idomeneo (Elettra)   •   Le nozze di Figaro (La Countessa di Almaviva)   •   La clemenza di Tito (Vitellius)

Offenbach

Les contes d'Hoffmann (Antonia)

Puccini

La bohème (Mimi)

Richard Strauss

Arabella (title role)   •   Ariadne auf Naxos (Ariadne)   •   Der Rosenkavalier (Marschallin)

Verdi

Don Carlos (Elisabeth de Valois)   •   La traviata (Violetta Valery)   •   Otello (Desdemona)   •   Les vêpres siciliennes (Hélène)   •   Il trovatore (Leonora)

Wagner

Lohengrin (Elsa von Brabant)   •   Tannhäuser (Elisabeth)   •   Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Eva)

News

Press

  • Verdi Il Trovatore (Leonora)

    Metropolitan Opera
    Oct 2024 - Nov 2024

    • Willis-Sørensen es una gran cantante… Poseedora de un instrumento privilegiado, ancho y oscuro abajo, refulgente y estuchado arriba, y de una técnica sólida… “Willis-Sørensen is a great singer… Possessing a privileged instrument, wide and dark below, bright and boxy above, and a solid technique…

    • …she delivered an incredible performance…And Willis-Sørensen saved her softest and most impactful singing for her final “Prima che d’altri vivere,” her voice floating gloriously, the high A flat allowed to soar into a beautiful portamento an octave down for “io volli tua morir.” Her voice grew softer in the final instances with a sublime “Addio” capping off a powerful performance from the soprano.

  • Richard Tucker Foundation Gala

    Carnegie Hall
    Oct 2024

    • It’s a creamy voice with effortless legato and more than decent flexibility…her smooth tone unfurled without effort and the high notes emerged seamlessly out of the vocal line.

    • Rachel Willis-Sorenson, who the day before had joined Jamie Barton and Michael Fabiano in a rousing Met matinee of TROVATORE, today gave us the immortal “Casta viva” from Bellini’s NORMA. Although this bel canto jewel really needs an orchestra-and-chorus setting, Ms. Willis-Soremson and Mr. Wagorn were so persuasive that such concerns became irrelevant. With her impressive breath control, the soprano commanded the long phrases, introducing subtle nuances along the way. She concluded the aria with a gorgeous cadenza and then spun out an incredible inverted trill before sustaining the final note.

  • Strauss Ariande auf Naxos

    Bayerische Staatsoper at Hong Kong Arts Festival
    Feb 2024

    • “American soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen was a wonderful Ariadne — one would never have guessed that this opening night performance was her role debut. Her mezza voce in “Ein schönes war” was gorgeous, as was her resplendent top in “Es gibt ein Reich.” I would not be at all surprised if Ariadne becomes one of her signature roles.”

    • “The American soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen made her debut in Bayerische Staatsoper’s production of Ariadne auf Naxos in Hong Kong…There was powerful dramatic singing from Rachel Willis-Sorensen as Ariadne.”

  • Offenbach Les Contes d'Hoffmann

    Opéra national de Paris
    Nov 2023 - Dec 2023

    • “splendeur du timbre, ambitus et égalité de registres somptueux” [Translated] "splendid timbre, sumptuous range and equality of registers"

    • “...elle reste richement colorée…” [Translated] “...richly colored throughout the range”

    • “Rachel Willis-Sorensen propose une Antonia de caractère, à la mesure de son immense voix aux registres parfaitement joints. Sensible et attentive au sens de la couleur, elle signe une prestation de haut vol, et on souhaite la réentendre vite à l’Opéra de Paris” [Translated] "Rachel Willis-Sorensen offers a characterful Antonia, in keeping with her immense voice with perfectly joined registers. Sensitive and attentive to the sense of color, she gives a high-flying performance, and we hope to hear her again soon at the Paris Opéra".

    • “L’Antonia de l’Américaine Rachel Willis-Sørensen, qu’on entend pour la première fois à l’Opéra de Paris , est au contraire une voix pulpeuse, aux courbes splendides, au souffle long, aux phrasés soutenus, une véritable héroïne romantique qui confère à son personnage une véritable noblesse tragique.” [Translated] "The Antonia of American Rachel Willis-Sørensen, heard for the first time at the Opéra de Paris, is, on the contrary, a luscious voice, with splendid curves, long breaths and sustained phrasing her character with a true tragic nobility."

    • “As Antonia, Rachel ample soprano lived perfectly on the edge. [...] Her voice allowed to soar into full flight, growing more passionate with each line until she ascended all the way to a thrilling climactic high note that erupted brilliantly into the hall. And then we got the soprano's softest singing of the night as she strode on stage, her final utterances hushed whispers. It was a perfect payoff both musically and dramatically to everything we'd heard and seen throughout the act.”

  • Verdi Otello

    Wiener Staasoper
    Oct 2023

    • Rachel Willis-Sorensen est une Desdemona plus femme de tête qu’épouse résignée. L’aigu est puissant, les piani nombreux et lumineux. “Rachel Willis-Sorensen is a Desdemona more headstrong than a resigned wife. Her middle voice is powerful, her piani numerous and luminous.

    • Desdemona wurde von der Amerikanerin Rachel Willis-Sørensen mit einem schönen und sauber geführten Sopran gesungen. Desdemona was sung by the American Rachel Willis-Sørensen with a beautiful and clean soprano voice.

    • Rachel Willis-Sørensen, an American soprano very much in demand in Europe as Verdi heroines with her large and clear voice… Her singing became more confident and soulful as the evening progressed, and she delivered Desdemona’s two devastating Willow Song and Ave Maria full of emotional vulnerability mixed with quiet dignity.

    • Rachel Willis-Sorensen verleiht der Desdemona mit durchsetzungsstarkem Sopran die Kontur einer selbstbestimmten Tragödin. Rachel Willis-Sorensen lends Desdemona the contours of a self-determined tragedienne with her assertive soprano voice.

    • Rachel Willis-Sørensen zeigt eine zunächst resolute Desdemona. Ihr warmer Sopran betört in lyrischen Passagen und leuchtet in allen Lagen. Rachel Willis-Sørensen presents an initially resolute Desdemona. Her warm soprano beguiles in lyrical passages and shines in all registers.

  • Mahler Symphony No.8

    München Nationaltheater
    Oct 2023

  • Verdi Don Carlos

    Grand Theatre, Geneva
    Sep 2023

    • Elisabetta di Valois è Rachel Willis Sørensen. La sua voce, dolce e delicata e capace di ottimi pianissimi, la fa apparire come vittima della vicenda politica e umana. Elisabeth of Valois is Rachel Willis Sørensen. Her voice, sweet and delicate and capable of excellent pianissimi, makes her appear as a victim of the political and human affair.

    • Herrlich und glanzvoll war auch „Toi qui sus le néant” von Rachel Willis Sörensen als Elisabeth, mit grossartiger Kontrolle und majestätischer Phrasierung. Sie besitzt einen runden und schönen Sopran, der höhensicher ist und in der Lage die ergreifenden Legati mit schwebender Leichtigkeit zu singen. Eine wunderbare Stimme! Gorgeous and glorious was also “Toi qui sus le néant” by Rachel Willis Sörensen as Elisabeth, with great control and majestic phrasing. She has a round and beautiful soprano, confident in the high register and able to sing the poignant legati with floating ease. A wonderful voice!

  • Strauss Der Rosenkavalier

    Glyndebourne Opera Festival
    May 2018

    • Taking the limelight here in her Glyndebourne debut, she was sensational. What stood out was her pin-sharp diction allied to great dynamic control: the ability to stress the important phrases and rise cleanly above the orchestra, or to project a perfectly held pianissimo, always making the words count. She followed Strauss’ lilt beautifully, and made us believe in the mood shifts between light-hearted, wistful or authoritative. She also had bags of stage presence, even in the most ridiculously over-the-top costumes, helped by being very tall. I’ll be lucky to see a better Marschallin.

Discography