Sandra Piques Eddy, praised for her “dark, sensuous mezzo and charming stage presence” (Opera Magazine) ‘a lustrous voice” (Opera News) “a fine technique, a range of colors from honeyed to bright and charm to burn” (New York Times) celebrates her twentieth year as a professional mezzo soprano this season.
Recent career successes include a reprise of her acclaimed Carmen with the legendary Maestro Seiji Ozawa on tour in Japan, a company debut with Opera New Zealand as Rosina in their Il barbiere di Siviglia tour, critical praise as the title character in The Coronation of Poppea with Opera North on tour in England, performing and recording the role of Mistress Revels in Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players, and creating the role of Young Wife in the World Premiere of Scott Wheeler’s Naga, part of the Ouroboros Trilogy, produced by Beth Morrison Projects in Boston. Sandra recently added several new roles to her growing repertoire; Dido in Dido and Aeneas with Florentine Opera, Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at Portland Opera, Paula in Florencia en al Amazonas with Pittsburgh Opera, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Inland Northwest Opera, and Meg Page in Falstaff with Opera Colorado Opera.
Sandra made her debut in Japan as Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte with Hyogo Performing Arts Center with Maestro Yutaka Sado. Sandra returned for more Mozart, this time as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and returned as a featured soloist at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center for a New Year’s Eve Concert of Timeless American Musicals. Sandra was honored to be chosen to sing the title role of Carmen on tour (twice) with Maestro Seiji Ozawa.
Career highlights include numerous appearances to great acclaim as the title role of Carmen, at Austin Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Portland Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera North (UK), Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Spokane Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Coeur d’Alene, Greensboro Opera and Chicago Opera Theater. Other signature roles include: Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte with Boston Lyric Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, Pittsburgh Opera; Rosina with Vancouver Opera, Opera Omaha, Austin Lyric Opera, Jacksonville Symphony, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Crested Butte Music Festival; Isabella in L’Italiana in Algeri at Atlanta Opera, Arizona Opera, Vancouver Opera, Boston Midsummer Opera and Austin Lyric Opera; Angelina in La Cenerentola with Spoleto Festival (USA), Austin Lyric Opera, Operas ‘a Saratoga, and Greensboro Opera; Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with the Metropolitan Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Atlanta Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater; Meg in Mark Adamo’s Little Women with Glimmerglass Opera, Fort Worth Opera and Kentucky Opera; Idamante in Idomeneo with Boston Lyric Opera and Florentine Opera; Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Portland Opera and Opera Omaha and Don Ramiro in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera with Florida Grand Opera and the New York City Opera, Stefano in Romeo et Juliette with Atlanta Opera and Hawaii Opera Theater. Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Portland Opera, Juno/Ino in Semele at Florentine Opera and Varvara in Janáček’s Katya Kabanová and Charlotte in Werther, both with her hometown company, the Boston Lyric Opera.
With over 100 performances with the Metropolitan Opera, Sandra’s roles on the legendary stage include: Fiona in the much anticipated Metropolitan Opera premiere of Nico Muhly’s Two Boys directed by Bartlett Sher in 2013; Mercédès in Sir Richard Eyre’s production of Carmen (also broadcast nationally on PBS and theatrically live in HD and available on DVD), Cherubino, Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana, La Badessa /Novice Sour Angelica, Rosette in Manon, Zulma in L’Italiana in Algeri, Dragonfly in L’Enfant et les sortilèges, Third handmaiden in Sly, Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto, Olga in Merry Widow, Third naked virgin in Moses und Aron and Flower Maiden in Parsifal. Sandra was entrusted to cover roles such as Sycorax Enchanted Island, Pilgrim L’amour de loin, Dorabella Cosi fan tutte and Maddelena Rigoletto.
On the concert platform, Sandra traveled to England and was a featured soloist in The Seven Ages of Shakespeare Concert with the Birmingham Symphony conducted by Maestro Nicholas Mc Gegan, she appeared as soloist with Harry Christophers and the Handel and Haydn Society in performances of the Mozart Requiem, Sandra performed Respighi’s Il Tramonto with the New York Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble Concert Series. Sandra made her Carnegie Hall debut as Charmian in Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra with the New York City Opera. The mezzo soprano debuted Messiah with the National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall and has since performed as soloist with Baltimore Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony and numerous times with New Choral Society. Sandra has performed as soloist with the Landmarks Orchestra, the Spoleto Festival, Anchorage Opera’s, Emerald City Opera, Granite State Opera Orchestra and at Monadnock and Manchester music festivals as well as multiple benefit concerts for the Savannah Children’s Choir and Sing for Hope.
A Boston native, Ms. Eddy’s professional concert debut was with Boston Baroque in Vivaldi’s Gloria at Sanders Theater and Portsmouth Music Hall. She has since had several reengagements, including Messagiera and Speranza in L’Orfeo, and Valletto and Amore. in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Boston audiences have also heard her in various roles with Boston University’s Opera Institute, including her signature Cherubino, Nancy in Albert Herring, Tieresias in the staged premiere of Merryman’s Antigone, and, most memorably, as Sesto in La clemenza di Tito.
Sandra Piques Eddy was the first place New England Regional Winner of the 2000 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a National Semi-finalist. She has won competitions a both Opera Lirica and the Boston Conservatory. Ms. Eddy graduated from Boston University’s School for the Arts with a master’s degree in Vocal Performance, and was an apprentice artist at the Boston Opera Institute. Additionally, she is a 2002 recipient of the Shoshana Foundation Richard Gold Career Grant. In May 2017, Sandra was honored with Boston Conservatory’s Distinguished Alumni Award.