Kyoto, Japan
ROLE(S): Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro)
Praised for her “supple and buttery voice” (The New Criterion) and hailing from Kyoto, Japan, Japanese American mezzo-soprano Sophia Maekawa is finishing her tenure as an ensemble member with Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago. This summer Ms. Maekawa sings her first Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Williamsburg Opera, as well as reprising the role of Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro with Wolf Trap Opera. In the 2024-2025 season, as a Ryan Opera ensemble member she appeared as Lee Ann (The Listeners), Tisbe (La Cenerentola), and Pastuchyna (Jenůfa), as well as covered Cherubino at Lyric Opera of Chicago and Li Song in Émigré (US premiere) with the New York Philharmonic. As an apprentice artist in Santa Fe Opera in 2022, she covered Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Comrade Chin/Shu Fang in Madama Butterfly. Ms. Maekawa was also a semi-finalist in the Houston Grand Opera “Concert of Arias” Elenor McCollun Competition. In summer of 2021 she was a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theater of St. Louis. Ms. Maekawa was awarded first place in Tokyo International Vocal Music Competition 2020, was a finalist in the 2020 Music Competition of Japan, and received the Tokyo Newspaper (Tokyo Shinbun) Award. Previous credits include: Ariodante (Ariodante), Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Annio (La Clemenza di Tito), Mercedes (Carmen), Nancy (Albert Herring), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), and Second Woman (Dido and Aeneas) with companies such as Curtis Opera Theater and Chautauqua Institution.