Sonya Headlam

Soprano Sonya Headlam enjoys a vibrant career performing music from the Baroque to the 21st century. After her recent solo debuts with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, the North Carolina Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony, and the New World Symphony, she eagerly anticipates her upcoming solo debuts with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada.

As the Rohde Family Artist-in-Residence at the 2023 Chelsea Music Festival, Headlam recently performed the world premiere of Kennst du das Land by Sung Jin Hong, conducted by Ken-David Masur. Other contemporary pieces she has performed include Yaz Lancaster’s song cycle ouroboros, produced by Beth Morrison Projects; Ellen Reid’s dreams of the new world; Tyshawn Sorey’s Monochromatic Light (afterlight) with the Choir of Trinity Wall Street; and Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer, performed with the Bang on a Can All-Stars at Carnegie Hall.

An avid recitalist, Headlam delights in performing a wide range of art songs, from the cherished standard repertoire to lesser-known gems by composers from Latin America and the Caribbean. On the opera stage, her favorite roles include Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème.

Having earned praise from critics for her heartfelt performances, Sonya Headlam strives to illuminate the beauty and richness of music in the human experience. She believes in the transformative power of music and its capacity to resonate with our innermost emotions, offer profound insights into ourselves, and foster connections that deeply enrich our lives.