Sarah Labiner
Opera Singer in London, United Kingdom
Known for her effervescent energy, "sweet lyrical voice" (Plays to See), and "gloriously nimble coloratura" (Winston-Salem Journal), soprano Sarah Labiner made her debut singing Jano in Jenufa at the English National Opera summer 2016, and returned to ENO in autumn 2016 as 15-year-old Girl in the new Kentridge production of Lulu. She sang Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) as a professional guest artist at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, where "Ms. Labiner outdoes herself (and most rivals) with her extraordinary lightness of movement and clarity of pitch.” (Classical Voice of North Carolina).
Sarah trained with the English National Opera’s Opera Works programme where she made a particular study of the 1912 version of Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos). She earned her Master of Music degree from the Royal College of Music and was a Watson Scholar at the North Carolina School of the Arts.
With ENO Opera works, Sarah performed scenes including Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), and Poppea (Agrippina). She has sung Adina (L’Elisir D’Amore), Clarice (Il Mondo Della Luna), and Graduation Girl (Street Scene) with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, Gasparina (La Cantarina) with the North Carolina School of the Arts, and covered the role of Sophie (Werther) at the Grimeborn Festival in London. Other scenes performances include Ilia (Idomeneo), Despina (Così Fan Tutte), and Flora (The Turn of the Screw) with the Royal College of Music, and Asteria (Tamerlano), and Amore (Il Ritorno D’Ulisse in Patria) with Canta in Italia.
As a concert soloist in the USA and UK, Sarah has sung the Brahms Requiem, Schubert Mass in G, Bernstein Mass, Vivaldi Gloria, Fauré Requiem, Britten Rejoice in the Lamb, Handel Messiah, and Mozart Mass in C.
Having grown up in the theatre, Sarah has a strong foundation in ballet and dramatic training. Also a keen linguist, she has studied German, Italian, and French, and is currently working to gain further proficiency in Welsh. Sarah takes a particular interest in vocal pedagogy, having written her Master of Music thesis on methods of breath management and support and also having researched and taught workshops on harmonic overtone singing. With a great enthusiasm for musical outreach, Sarah has worked with English National Opera’s Baylis programme as well as helping run workshops at the Royal College of Music and other London events.
Sarah is represented in the UK by Steven Swales Artist Management.