Sara Gartland
A native of St. Paul Minnesota, soprano Sara Gartland earned raves as Lisa in Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Queen of Spades. James Sohre with Opera Today exclaimed, “DMMO has hitched its wagon to the sublime talents of soprano Sara Gartland and the annual outcome could not be happier. . . Ms. Gartland proved once again to be a perfect fit for the role at hand, the torn, lovelorn, and fatally frustrated Lisa. Her radiant, full-bodied soprano was made for the passionate outbursts required by the tortured heroine, and she gave such consistent pleasure that one only wished Tchaikovsky had given her more to sing.”
Engagements for the 2021-2022 season and beyond include the role of Rose in the World Premiere opera A Thousand Acres with libretto by Mark Campbell and music composed by Kristin Kuster for the 50th Anniversary season at The Des Moines Metro Opera, and exciting role and company debuts with Opera San Antonio, Opera Colorado, and The Dallas Opera.
A lover of opera and operetta as well as contemporary works, Ms. Gartland has sung a plethora of roles displaying her talent for dramatic storytelling and comedy. She has also developed close working relationships with some of the best regional opera houses in the country. Performances include the title roles of Rusalka and Jenufa, Marie in Wozzeck, Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, and Alexandra in Regina with The Des Moines Metro Opera, Musetta in La boheme, Micaëla in Carmen, Adalgisa (cover) in Norma and Zenna Briggs (cover) in Michel van der Aa’s 3D opera Sunken Garden with The Dallas Opera, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Violetta in La Traviata, Curley’s Wife in Of Mice and Men, and Alexandra in Regina with Utah Opera, Violetta in La Traviata, Rusalka in Rusalka and Josephine in HMS Pinafore with Arizona Opera, Marzelline in Fidelio with Opera Omaha, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with Opera San Jose, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and Musetta in La boheme with San Diego Opera, Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Austin Lyric Opera, and Rusalka (cover) in Rusalka with the Canadian Opera Company.
As a member of the prestigious Adler Fellow Program at San Francisco Opera, Ms. Gartland sang numerous roles including performances of Micaëla in Carmen, Pat/Ann in the world premiere of Christopher Theofandis’ Heart of a Soldier, Gerhilde in Die Walküre, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, and covered Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro while also singing Barbarina, which was her San Francisco Opera main stage debut. As a Merolini with the Merola Opera Program, Ms. Gartland sang Suzel in Pietro Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz.
