Rachel Willis-Sorensen

Rachel Willis-Sorenson

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.

Official Website

 

Highlighting Latter-day Saint Musicians


Learn More about our Spotify

Recent Posts

The Life and Times of Marwenna Diame

The Life and Times of Marwenna Diame

Marwenna Diame, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born Gwen Isabella Laidlaw in December 1960 in Dumbarton, Scotland, to Marion and James Laidlaw. Her father passed away in 2018 and her mother passed away in 2020. She was named after her...

2021 Youth Music Festival Will Take Place in March

2021 Youth Music Festival Will Take Place in March

During the virtual Youth Music Festival in July 2020, Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women General President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told youth that one of most powerful ways to hear the Lord’s voice is through music. She said, “The scriptures...

Copyright © 2024 Latter-day Saint Musicians. All Rights Reserved.
This website is not owned by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org.