“With the self-assurance and technique of a veteran, and a supple yet rich voice, her performance must have left many in the audience believing they had witnessed an early stage of a great career,” wrote The Berkshire Eagle following a recital by American mezzo-soprano SASHA COOKE, a fast-rising star of opera and concerts.

Among her exciting appearances this season, Ms. Cooke sings at the Metropolitan Opera in the role of Kitty Oppenheimer in the New York premiere of John Adams’ Doctor Atomic, and sings the same role with English National Opera in her European debut.  She sings Handel’s Messiah with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and with the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall, Bernstein’s Opening Prayer with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop.  On April 14, 2009, Ms. Cooke is presented in the Young Concert Artists Gala Irene Diamond Concert at Lincoln Center, performing Elgar’s Sea Pictures with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under Giancarlo Guerrero.  In the summer of 2008, she appeared as Olga in Tchaikovsky’s Evgeny Onegin with the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv and participated in the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont.

Ms. Cooke gives song recitals this season at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts (WA), the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts (CA), The Embassy Series (DC), at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, in the Fortas Chamber Music Series at the Kennedy Center and with the New York Festival of Song.  She premieres Andrew Norman’s “Lullaby” at Merkin Hall and at the Kennedy Center as part of YCA’s Composers Concerts.

Ms. Cooke won First Prize in the 2007 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and holds the Lindemann Vocal Chair of YCA.  She made her Washington, DC debut in the Young Concert Artists Series at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater in September 2007 and her New York debut at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall in October 2007.  Ms. Cooke is a member of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera.  At the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, Ms. Cooke was also honored with the Rhoda Walker Teagle Prize, which sponsored her New York debut; the Fergus First Prize; the Swiss Global Artistic Foundation Award; and the Embassy Series Concert Prize (Washington, DC).

Ms. Cooke performed with the Wolf Trap Opera Company in summer 2007, appearing with the National Symphony Orchestra as Mercedes in a concert performance of Bizet’s Carmen, as Aloes in Chabrier’s L’Étoile.  Other recent notable performances have included the premiere performances of “Bastianello” by John Musto and William Bolcom’s “Lucrezia” with the New York Festival of Song, a recital at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, a performance at the Bard Music Festival, Chausson's Poème de l'amour et de la mer at Miller Theater, the Marilyn Horne Foundation’s 2007 Gala at Zankel Hall, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Mozart Academy of San Luis Obispo, and Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra (TX).  Ms. Cooke participated in Seattle Opera’s young artist program, as Meg Page in Verdi’s Falstaff.  She has also appeared as the Composer in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos and Endimione in Cavalli’s La Calisto at The Juilliard School, Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther and Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte at Rice University, and Erika in Barber’s Vanessa with Central City Opera.

Ms. Cooke won First Prizes in the 2007 Sun Valley Opera Vocal Competition and the 2006 Bach Vocal Competition sponsored by the American Bach Society and The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, as well as Third Prize in the 2006 Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition.

Ms. Cooke received her Bachelor’s Degree from Rice University and her Master’s Degree from The Juilliard School, where she was a frequent soloist in premiere performances by the New Juilliard Ensemble.  She has also attended Music Academy of the West, the Aspen Music Festival, the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute, and Central City Opera’s Young Artist Training Program.

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