BIOGRAPHY

Sophia Mitchell is a Sydney based Mezzo-soprano. She studied the violin and viola before commencing training in classical singing at the age of 16. Sophia performed with choirs, vocal groups and as a soloist in concerts, winning and placing in competitions throughout primary and high school. She was given lead roles in school musicals and dramas from her first year of high school before commencing formal training.

After receiving her Associate Diploma in singing at the age of 19, Sophia began singing with the Sydney Philharmonia Symphonic Choir. She was later asked to sing with their Motet Choir, performing in such venues as London's Royal Albert Hall, Kings College Chapel, Cambridge, the Sydney Opera House and the City Recital Hall. Major performances with the choirs include the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony, Barbara Streisand's 2000 Sydney Farewell Concert and the 2002 Birmingham and London Proms. She also had the opportunity to do a number of recordings with this choir.

Sophia was accepted into the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and received a Bachelor of Music in 2006. During her undergraduate degree she continued to sing with the Philharmonia Choirs and was also accepted into the Conservatorium Chamber Choir. Sophia joined an acting agency, enrolled in some short acting courses, and successfully aquired work as an extra and feature for films, commercials and television and had a lead role in a short film. In 2008 Sophia continued her studies, completing a Graduate Diploma at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Sophia has performed with opera companies including Rockdale Opera, Pacific Opera and Opera Prometheus. Her opera roles have included Miss Todd (The Old Maid and the Thief), Berta (The Barber of Seville), Josephine (HMS Pinafore) and the cover for Clorinde (Tancrede). She also recently performed her first straight theatre role as Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest. Between 2008-09 she produced and performed in three concerts of opera and oratorio to raise funds for the work of Anglicare.

In 2010 Sophia recorded a short a program for broadcast on 2MBS radio with harpsichordist Chris Berensen thereafter performing a series of concerts entitled Handel You Haven't Heard!. She also performed the first in a series of concerts of Elizabethan lute songs. Also in 2010, Sophia performed several recitals of operatic arias and ensembles and was engaged as a guest artist with the Ku-ring-gai Male Choir.

Sophia has performed for a variety of audiences in 2011. She gave her first cruise ship performance singing well-known opera arias and duets. She performed the role of Ernestina in Rossini's Opportunity Makes the Thief for Sydney Independent Opera. She also sang in recital, for corporate events and as part of fundraiser and community concerts including the Alto solo in Bach's cantata BWV 147.

Sophia has a special love of early music and recently furthered her studies in this field at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam's Early Music Summer School. Sophia has recently formed a new early music duo with Renaissance lutenist, Andrew Byrne. This ensemble can be seen performing at concerts in and around the Sydney area.