Mezzo-Soprano Stephanie Sanchez
ROLES PERFORMED AND PREPARED
Amastre – Xerxes
Angela – The Listeners
Aunt Hannah – Emmeline
Azucena – Il trovatore
Baroness Nica – Charlie Parker's Yardbird
Carlotta – Zorro (Armienta)
Carmen – Carmen
Composer – Ariadne auf Naxos
Dryad – Ariadne auf Naxos
Farzana – Die Feen
Flosshilde – Das Rheingold
Fricka – Das Rheingold
Fricka – Die Walküre
Frida Kahlo – El último sueño de Frida y Diego
Gertrude (Mother) – Hänsel und Gretel
Hansel – Hansel and Gretel
Isabella – L'italiana in Algeri
Maddalena – Rigoletto
Maria (La Llorona) – La Llorona (Armienta)
Mary – Der fliegende Holländer
Meg Page – Falstaff
Mercédès – Carmen
Mère Marie – Dialogues des Carmélites
Mother/Other Mother – Coraline
Mrs. Moreno – The Listeners
Nettie Fowler – Carousel
Olga – Eugene Onegin
Owl – The Cunning Little Vixen
Prince Orlofsky – Die Fledermaus
Schwertliete – Die Walküre
Second Lady – Die Zauberflöte
Soeur Mathilde – Dialogues des Carmélites
Third Lady – Die Zauberflöte
Witch – Hansel and Gretel
Zita – Gianni Schicchi
ROLES IN PREPARATION/UNDER CONSIDERATION
Adalgisa – Norma
Amneris – Aida
Charlotte – Werther
Cornelia – Giulio Cesare
Eboli – Don Carlos
Erda – Das Rheingold
Fenena – Nabucco
Maria – Maria de Buenos Aires
Octavian – Der Rosenkavalier
Paula – Florencia en el Amazonas
Pauline – Pique Dame
Suzuki – Madama Butterfly
Waltraute – Die Walküre
The Audience Choice Award winner at the 2021 Jensen Foundation competition and sole recipient of the 2018 Igor Gorin Memorial Award, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Sánchez will revisit two roles in her repertoire during the 2025-2026 season: Carlotta de Obragon in Zorro with Arizona Opera, alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Apollo Chorus of Chicago, and a return to Lyric Opera of Chicago to sing Frida in El ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego.
Sánchez most recently appeared as Mary in Der fliegende Holländer and the Owl in The Cunning Little Vixen with Des Moines Metro Opera. Her 2024-25 season also included a return to the Phoenix Symphony for Handel’s Messiah, Lyric Opera of Chicago for Missy Mazzoli’s The Listeners, and a debut with Seattle Opera as Yesi in the workshop of Stomping Grounds.
Sánchez opened her 2023-24 season with a Kentucky Opera debut, performing the role of the Witch in Hänsel und Gretel. She also made debuts with the Phoenix Symphony, where she sang the alto solos in Mesías [Spanish Messiah], Nettie Fowler in Carousel with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, returned to Arizona Opera to reprise the role of Carlotta de Obragón in abbreviated performances of Hector Armienta’s Zorro for the company’s New Works Festival, Opera Omaha as the titular Frida Kahlo in Gabriela Lena Frank’s, El último sueño de Frida y Diego, Newport Music Festival in the title role of Carmen, and returned to West Edge Opera as Flosshilde/Fricka/Erda in Der Ring in einem Abend.
Sánchez made several notable house debuts during the 2022-23 season, including Third Spirit in The Magic Flute at Ravinia under the baton of Marin Alsop; Chief Officer’s Wife in The Knock with Cincinnati Opera; and Passenger #3/Chief’s Daughter #2 in the world premiere of Proximity at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Sánchez returned to Opera Southwest for performances of Zorro as Carlotta de Obragon, Intermountain Opera as Maddalena in Rigoletto, and Arizona Opera as Dryade in Ariadne auf Naxos.
At the 2021 Glimmerglass Festival, Ms. Sánchez sang the role of Ines and covered Azucena in Francesca Zambello’s 90-minute adaptation of Il Trovatore and was a featured artist in an all- Wagner concert conducted by Maestro Joseph Colaneri. That same fall, she joined the roster of Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she covered Second Lady in Barrie Kosky’s acclaimed production of Die Zaüberflote and made her house debut with Austin Opera in a solo recital highlighting works by Mexican and Latine composers.
Sánchez has been the recipient of several prizes, recently taking home first place in the Young Texas Artist Music Competition; second place in Opera Connecticut’s Opera Idol Competition; a finalist in the Brava Opera Theater Competition, and has received grants from the Olga Forrai Foundation, the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust, and the Hispanic Scholarship Association.
Born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Sánchez received her Artist Diploma from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in 2017. She earned her master’s degree in vocal performance from New Mexico State University.
