Rachel Willis-Sorensen
SONY DSC
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
International Male Model Lucky Blue Smith Stars in Film about Finding True Beauty in Others
Lucky Blue Smith may sound like an unusual name, but mention that name and people worldwide would instantly know who you are talking about. With 2.7 million followers on Instagram and 294 thousand Twitter followers, the 18-year-old, deep-blue eyes, platinum blond...
Christopher Meek Offers Hope with Rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
In the tumultuous times in which we now live, the world appears to be spinning out of control. Thus, there are many people who are aimlessly wandering in search of a healing balm to soothe the pain they are feeling and to give them some sense of peace and comfort....
16-Year-Old Justin Garvin Writes Song About Suicide Prevention
Most people who consider suicide don’t want to die, they just don’t know how to cope with or eliminate the pain they are going through. There are perhaps many reasons that a person reaches a breaking point in his or her life when it seems that the only way out is to...
The Ice Princess Comes to Life in Working With Lemons Cover of “For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)”
The amazing group Working With Lemons is well known for bringing Disney characters to life in their enchanting videos. In their most recent video published on their YouTube channel on 27 January 2017, Elsa the Ice Princess comes to life in their live version of “First...
Claire Ryann and Dad Appear on Ellen Show After Video of “You Got a Friend in Me” Goes Viral
In March 2016, Latter-day Saint Musicians introduced the cute and adorable four-year-old Claire Ryann Crosby from Seattle, Washington to our audience when we featured a YouTube video of her singing one of her favorite hymns, “Gethsemane” written by Roger and Melanie...
Yahosh Bonner and Brittany Williams Dynamic Cover of “Powerful”
We live in a world where people find it easy to judge others for one reason or another. Often, they base those judgments on what they see on the surface and not on facts. Some people find it easier to criticize and condemn another than to understand and help lift...