Rachel Willis-Sorensen
Rachel Willis-Sorensen actually tried to hide her powerful voice in high school. Though she performed in musical theater as a student, when she went to college, she was rejected by every choir.
“I was a little disproportionate to most art forms—I don’t know what it was–being 5’11” and not being a ballerina– the sound of my voice, the size of me…” she remembered.
She eventually found the perfect fit in the opera department at Brigham Young University (BYU), where the faculty helped refine her ability.
“When I found opera, all the strangeness– all the specificity of myself, my person, fit really well. I had this earth shattering moment when I realized this is what I was born to do. This is my niche on the planet,” she explained.
It was a triumph when she returned to her hometown and made her solo debut with a Richland, WA performance at the Battelle Auditorium in 2007. She credits BYU with providing unfailing support that has been instrumental to her success.
In 2008, Willis-Sørensen was a semifinalist in the National Council Auditions, winning the Utah district and Rocky Mountain regional competitions. Though she was eliminated in the semifinal round, the competition made her more determined than ever to develop her ability. After graduation, she went to the Houston Grand Opera Studio and studied with several prestigious coaches, including renowned mezzo-soprano, Dolora Zajick, to prepare for the 2010 National Council Auditions. This time she knew what to expect–and it paid off. She was chosen as one of five equal winners of the competition. Singing in German was a cinch, since she had been a Mormon missionary in Hamburg. She was linguistically fluent and culturally fluent. And then, she had this voice.
In 2011, she entered the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition where she won both divisions—opera and operetta— a feat that has only happened three times in thirty years. Since then, she has sung around the world with the most prestigious orchestras and opera companies.
Recent Posts
Returned LDS Missionary Honors Mother’s Memory by Auditioning for American Idol
At the request of his mother, John Wayne Schultz, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Salt Lake City, Utah, auditioned for the 10th season of American Idol in 2011. He received the golden ticket to Hollywood, but was eventually eliminated...
Monica Scott Shares Testimony Through Music
The beautiful inspirational music that Monica Scott produces and shares is both uplifting and edifying. As a person listens to her masterful arrangements, he or she can sense the praise and adoration that Monica has for the Savior. Without saying a single word, or...
Maddie Wilson Adds Her Flair to Twenty One Pilots Cover
Maddie Wilson is a young, yet experienced independent artist who is an extraordinary vocalist (Country Crossover), songwriter, performer, and an accomplished musician. She has said that she enjoys “adding a little of my own flair to popular music.” In her latest video...
Alex Boye’ – African Tribal “Star Wars” Cover
Theaters are buzzing once again with moviegoers who are anxious to see the continuing story of the epic space saga that took them to a virtual galaxy far, far away almost four decades ago when the original Star Wars movie first appeared on the big screen. The...
Anna Richey on the Road to Success
Anna Richey is a 17-year-old singer/songwriter. She wrote her first song when she was 8 years old and has loved songwriting ever since. Music has always been a big part of Anna Richey’s life. She inherited her singing genes from the father she never had the chance to...
Former Broadway Star Sandra Turley Battles and Beats Anxiety
Actress and singer, Sandra Turley, from Gaithersburg, Maryland, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was 13 years old when she first saw the musical “Les Misérables,” and dreamed of the day when she would be on Broadway performing in the...