Sarah Sweeting
Born in the UK, with Opera Awards and three Green Room Award nominations, Sarah has performed over 60 roles, which has taken her all over the world, countries including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, China, Asia and Barbados.
Sarah began her professional career aged 22, touring the UK, performing in Hello Dolly! with Dora Bryan. Continuing in musical theatre, she then performed roles in London's West End including the role of Isobel/Edith (covering Mabel) in the celebrated Joseph Papp’s production of The Pirates of Penzance at The London Palladium.
She has since worked for Opera Australia, Melbourne Opera, Opera Queensland, State Opera South Australia, Opera Holland Park, Longborough Opera, Lyric Opera Dublin, London City Opera, Lyric Opera Melbourne, The Australian International Opera Company, The Jakarta Music Festival, The Macau Music Festival, The Carl Rosa Opera Company, The Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, Holders Festival Opera, London Festival Opera, Raymond Gubbay Productions, GAFA Arts London, Travelling Opera, Opera Kernow, Crystal Clear Opera, The Production Co, Co Opera and Opera Bites.
Notable roles performed include Fricka, Erda, Sieglinde, Waltraute, Schwertleite, (Der Ring Des Nibelungen), Ortrud (Lohengrin), Venus (Tannhauser), Brangaene (Tristan und Isolde), Amneris (Aida), Carmen, Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), La Suora Zelatrice (Suor Angelica), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Alisa (Lucia di Lammermoor), Leonora (Il Trovatore), Alma March (Little Women), Musetta (La Boheme), Berta (The Barber of Seville), Liu (Turandot).
She performed the role of Annina in Opera Australia’s La Traviata for their inaugural Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour.
On the concert platform, Sarah has appeared as a soloist at the Royal Opera House, Linbury Theatre for the Covent Garden Festival, opera performances at the Barbican, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, Beethoven's 9th Symphony at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Die Erste Walpurgisnacht with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Notturni Ed Alba (John McCabe) at Westminster Central Hall (broadcast by the BBC) and starred in the opening gala of the Melbourne Fashion Week.
This year, Sarah understudies the role of Magdalene in Wagner's opera, Die Meistersinger for Melbourne Opera and performs at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre with Opera in the Pa alongside Eddie Muliaumaseali'i, Austin Hayes, musical director Claire Caldwell, pianist and composer Ludwig Treviranus, Nikau Grace Chater and Nathan Hauraki.
As part of the New Young Artists Program 2025, Opera Australia has appointed Sarah as the yoga instructor for the young artists. Combining her years as a professional opera singer with her 35 years as a yoga practitioner and teacher, she is excited to be able to impart knowledge and life experiences beneficial to an opera singing career.
She also will be exploring and preparing the role of Kundry in Parsifal with workshops in London and Germany later this year.
Awards
Directors Opera Award - London College of Music
Green Room Nominations:
Venus - Tannhauser - Wagner
Otrud - Lohengrin - Wagner
Fricka - Der Ring Des Nibelungen - Wagner
Read Sarah's interview with Arts Review here