Bio
Sabina Balsamo is an emerging operatic soprano, bringing depth of character and playfulness to performances in opera, concert, and recital settings. In addition to traditional roles such as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro and the title role in Manon, she has created characters in new works like Margery Mansfield in Leanna Kirchoff’s Welcome to the Madness (Opera Steamboat) and Angustias in Griffin Candey’s The House of Bernarda Alba (Cleveland Opera Theater).
A passionate advocate for the creation and performance of contemporary classical music, Balsamo has workshopped roles in several new operas, including Vicky Hobson in Tom Cipullo’s Hobson's Choice with CU NOW. In 2023, she commissioned, workshopped, recorded, and premiered the chamber opera Colorado Sky by Ben Morris and Laura Fuentes, in collaboration with Art Song Colorado and Boulder Opera. This family-friendly opera about the reintroduction of wolves to Colorado featured shadow puppets and a puppet-making workshop. Award-winning composer Tom Cipullo praised the opera, saying, “It’s a howl!”
In addition to her operatic work, Balsamo has commissioned several works to expand the chamber music repertoire for soprano and cello and has produced two albums: the original cast recording of Colorado Sky and a new album set for release in 2024. In 2020, she co-founded and became the Artistic Director of Sohap Ensemble, a group that presents contemporary classical music in concert and educational settings. To date, Sohap has performed nine chamber music concerts and premiered six new works, collaborating with notable musicians such as singers Andrew Garland and John Seesholtz, as well as composers Ben Morris and Griffin Candey.
Notable performance credits include: Rose in At the Statue of Venus, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Sandman/Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel, and the title role in Manon in concert with Boulder Opera; La Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro and Nella (cover) in Gianni Schicchi with Opera Steamboat; Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera Fort Collins; and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Elsie in The Yeomen of The Guard, and Rose in Ruddigore with the Pittsburgh Savoyards. While at university, she performed Clara in It’s a Wonderful Life, Governess in The Turn of the Screw with Eklund Opera, Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Polly in The Threepenny Opera with Baldwin Wallace Opera.
On the concert stage, recent solo engagements include the University of Wyoming’s performance of “Addio del passato” from La Traviata and the Mozart Requiem, which she will sing again with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs in January, 2025. She was a soloist with the Boulder Bach Festival in 2022 and performed with the CU Boulder University Orchestra after winning their Honors Competition in 2018.
A multifaceted performer, Balsamo is equally at home in various musical styles. She has taken on roles such as Maria in West Side Story with Eklund Opera, Fredrika in A Little Night Music, and Micky in Damn Yankees with Pittsburgh Festival Opera. Her versatility extends to cabaret performances, where she has showcased her extensive broadway and jazz repertoire.
In 2023, Balsamo was a soloist with Central City Opera’s Lyric Theater Singers and joined their outreach group in 2024, presenting a program to support teens in mental health crises. With Sohap Ensemble, she led a contemporary music workshop centered on Jessie Montgomery’s Loisaida, My Love, exploring extended techniques and fostering creativity across artistic mediums for middle and high school students.
Based in Southern California, Balsamo grew up in the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music and served as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she earned her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance. She was a member of the voice faculty at the University of Wyoming from 2022 to 2024. Currently, she is the Operations Manager at Camerata Pacifica, a chamber music ensemble based in Santa Barbara, CA.
“Balsamo imbued Susanna with a judicious mix of coquetry and sincere emotion. ”