Willis-Sørensen has made a signature role out of Donna Anna, after singing it most recently at the Royal Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera. We spoke with the soprano about the dramatic subtleties of Anna, and the work it takes to make her music feel easy.
Schmopera
The greatest impact of this Rusalka was in the title role, Rachel Willis-Sørensen sang brilliantly, her large, dark-hued soprano registering with dramatic urgency.
Opera News
(Role debut as Rusalka at San Francisco Opera)
...she possesses a remarkable and intelligent musicality, never forcing the voice. She sang with beautiful dynamic variety and meticulous phrasing - her palpating and heartfelt 'D'amor sull'ali rosee' earned her prolonged and well-deserved applause.
Opera Magazine
l soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen è conosciuta per il suo variegato repertorio che spazia da Mozart a Wagner...
Opera Life
Listen to Rachel talk about her journey and how she is living her dreams on the Kore Women podcast!
Kore Women
American soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen looked and sounded perfect in the title role. Her range is remarkably even, recalling the sound of an earlier SFO Rusalka, Renee Fleming. She brought heartache to her plight, and sang the score's big hit, "Song to the Moon" in Act I, flawlessly.
Bay Area Reporter
Both vocally and instrumentally, this was a high-class performance. Rachel Willis-Sørensen, in her role debut, became more and more confident as the evening passed, even if her acting occasionally had a studied quality. She sang gloriously, with poignancy and resolve, especially in her lower register. The pinnacle of her rendition was not the famous “Song to the moon”
Bachtrack