Southern California native and mixed-race mezzo-soprano Sophie Patterson, whose African American heritage informs her expressive artistry and versatility on stage, is currently a Young Artist with the International Opera Academy (IOA) in Ghent, Belgium. She recently earned her Master of Arts from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studied with Raymond Connell, following two years of study in Paris at the École Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot under world-renowned baritone Vladimir Chernov.
During her final year in Paris, Sophie was awarded the Special Prize at the Ise-Shima Art Committee International Singing Competition and Second Prize at the Open de Musique du Cap Ferret Festival Competition. She also holds a Bachelor of Music from UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music.
Sophie was an Alvarez Young Artist at Garsington Opera for
their 2025 season. Recent performances include Alto Soloist
in Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Truro Choral Society and Elgar’s Sea Pictures with the Penzance Orchestral Society. Other notable roles include Mrs. Herring (Albert Herring, Royal Academy Opera), Die Mutter and Die Hexe (Hänsel und Gretel, Hampstead Garden Opera), Sesto (La clemenza di Tito, Paris), and Gertrud (Hänsel und Gretel, Berlin Opera Academy). At UCLA she appeared in several opera premieres, including Akeidah, Lost Childhood, and Juana.
Upcoming engagements include Anna I in Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins with Opera Cameratina, as well as Dorabella (Così fan tutte) and Jo in Mark Adamo’s Little Women (in both workshop and performance) with the IOA. She also recently participated in a masterclass with Robin Adams at the IOA.
An avid recitalist, Sophie regularly performs with pianist Siyuan Xu, including appearances at the British Library and participation in a London Song Festival masterclass with Joseph Middleton in 2025. She has also appeared as mezzo-soprano soloist in Bernstein’s Songfest and the premiere of Peter Golub’s The Gorey Songs.
Her training has been enriched by programs such as Berlin Opera Academy, Teatro Nuovo, and the International Vocal Arts Academy of Payerbach, along with masterclasses led by Lisette Oropesa, Jennifer Larmore, Michelle DeYoung, Vladimir Chernov, Will Crutchfield, and others.
Beyond music, Sophie enjoys taekwondo, salsa dancing, improvisation, cooking, and playwriting.
