Sandra Piques Eddy
Mezzo soprano
Sandra Piques Eddy has been praised by the Boston Globe as “a charismatic mezzo with future star written all over her” with a voice possessed of “extraordinary richness of timbre and expressiveness.” In her portrayal as the title role in Spoleto Festival’s La Cenerentola The New York Times wrote “The brightest sparkle belonged to Ms. Piques Eddy, a swan necked mezzo with fine technique, a range of colors from honeyed to bright and charm to burn.” Her combination of beautiful tone, artistic sensitivity and superlative stagecraft have served to make Ms. Eddy one of North America’s most highly acclaimed singing actresses.
Ms. Eddy’s recent successes include the title role in La Cenerentola with both Spoleto Festival (USA) and Austin Lyric Opera: Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuleti ed I Montecchi at Glimmerglass Opera, Charmian in Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra with the New York City Opera at Carnegie Hall, Juno and Ino in Handel’s Semele at Florentine Opera, and the title role in Chicago Opera Theater’s premiere of La tragedie de Carmen. Upcoming engagements include a return to the Metropolitan Opera as Mercedes in their new production of Carmen, Idamante in Boston Lyric Opera’s Idomeneo and a solo recital at Amherst College .
Highlights of recent seasons include: Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Atlanta Opera and Chicago Opera Theater; Isabella in L’Italiana in Algeri with Vancouver Opera and Arizona Opera; Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte with New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera and Pittsburgh Opera; Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Austin Lyric Opera and Jacksonville Symphony; Beatrice in Beatrice et Benedict with Chicago Opera Theater; Meg in Little Women with Fort Worth Opera, Kentucky Opera and Glimmerglass Opera; Stephano in Romeo et Juilliette with Hawaii Opera Theater; Don Ramiro in La finta giardiniera with Florida Grand Opera and New York City Opera; Mallika in Lakme with Spoleto Festival; Page in Salome with Glimmerglass Opera and Florida Grand Opera; Pitti Sing in Mikado and Flora in La Traviata with New York City Opera.
One year after winning first place in the New England Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Sandra joined the Metropolitan Opera roster. On the legendary stage, Ms Eddy performed such roles as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana, Mercedes in Carmen, Rosette in Manon, Zulma in L’Italiana in Algeri, Dragonfly in L’Enfant et les Sortileges, Naked Virgin in Moses und Aron, Olga in Merry Widow, Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto, Flowermaiden in Parsifal, Handmaiden in Sly and Servant to the Barak’s wife in Die Frau ohne Schatten.
On the concert stage, Ms Eddy appeared as mezzo soloist with the Monadnock and Manchester Music and Spoleto USA Festivals and at Avery Fisher Hall she was heard as alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the National Chorale. The Boston native performed with the Boston Baroque ensemble making her professional concert debut in Vivaldi’s Gloria in the 2000 New Year’s Eve and First Day concerts at Sanders Theater and Portsmouth Music Hall. Her other roles with Boston Baroque include: Messagiera and Speranza in L’Orfeo and Valletto and Amore in L’Incoronazione di Poppea. Boston audiences heard Sandy with Boston Lyric Opera as Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and in various roles with the Boston University Opera Institute including; Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Sesto in La clemenza di Tito, Nancy in Albert Herring, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti, Foreign Singer in Postcard from Morocco, Ursula in Beatrice and Benedict, and Teirsias in the staged premiere of Merryman’s Antigone. Most Memorable in her portrayal of Sesto in La clemenza di Tito, The Boston Herald cited her as "Best Young Musician" in "Year in Music Review 2000" for outstanding performance.
Sandra Piques Eddy was awarded a Richard T. Gold Shoshana Foundation Career Grant through Glimmerglass Opera Young American Artist Program. Ms. Eddy has won competitions at both Opera Lirica and at the Boston Conservatory, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. She graduated from Boston University ’s School for the Arts with a Master’s in Vocal Performance, and was an apprentice artist at the Boston Opera Institute. Sandra Piques Eddy is the 2000 New England Regional First Place Winner and National Semi-Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
