SOPRANO
Longer bio
American lyric soprano Sydney Kucine captivates audiences around the world with her exceptional vocal technique and musicality. This year, she returned to Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium in New York City, performing as the soprano soloist in the "Gloria" from Misa Criolla. She also portrayed Pamina in The Magic Flute on a United States tour with acclaimed author Carolyn Sloan and was the soprano soloist for Górecki's Symphony No. 3, Op. 36. Previously, Ms. Kucine sang the "Gloria" at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium and took on the role of Pamina in The Chagall Project's production of Die Zauberflöte in New York.
Ms. Kucine started her professional career in the Sarasota Opera Apprentice Artist Program at the young age of 23. There, she performed Stéphano in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette and covered Papagena in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. She also showcased her versatility in concert scenes as Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. Although the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of her scheduled performances as Giulietta in Les Contes d'Hoffmann and Fiordiligi in Così fan Tutte, her talent and dedication remained undeterred.
Her professional international career includes performances in Greece, where she portrayed Adina in L'Elisir d'Amore and Naiad in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Festival of the Aegean. Additionally, she was the soprano soloist for Mozart's Requiem in D minor with the Pan Philharmonic of Warsaw, conducted by Peter Tiboris. Ms. Kucine has also performed at venues such as the Tatoi Palace in Athens and the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm in Germany.
Ms. Kucine has earned numerous prestigious awards, including prizes from The Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition, The Mildred Miller International Voice Competition, and The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She was a semifinalist in several international competitions and won first place in the Burlingame Music Club Competition, the National Association of Teachers competition, and the Kotzschmar Concerto Competition.
A proud graduate of the Mannes College of Music at The New School in New York City, Ms. Kucine performed Mrs. Grose in Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw under the baton of Daniela Candillari. In the summer of 2018, Ms. Kucine spent a summer at the Chautauqua Conservatory. This was a significant period for her artistic growth, where she covered Micaëla in their main stage production of Carmen and participated in recitals with Craig Rutenberg and Mikael Eliasen. She also benefited from master classes with Matthew Rose and Ben Moore and worked closely with Marlena Malas, Bénédicte Jourdois, and Martin Dubé.
Fluent in Italian, Ms. Kucine studied the language at the Accademia di Firenze. She holds a Bachelor's degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Deborah Voigt, and a Master's degree from the Mannes School of Music, where she studied with the late Ruth Falcon. Currently, she continues her professional studies with Patricia McCaffrey and is based in New York City.
Musical Roots
Born in Portland, Maine, in New England, Sydney began her musical studies at the young age of six. She grew up studying voice and piano with her choir director, Jaye Churchill, learning to read music even before she could read words. For twelve years, Sydney participated in the all-girls choir Musica de Filia and received musical honors in Maine as a soloist in the all-state auditioned festivals.
At the age of nine, Sydney made her opera debut as a children's chorister in Carmen with PortOpera, now known as Opera Maine. Her love for opera blossomed when her teacher introduced her to the aria "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. This passion led her to Interlochen Arts Camp, where she was a finalist in the concerto competition. From there, Sydney continued her musical journey at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she met her teacher and lifelong mentor, the renowned soprano Deborah Voigt.