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
GENTRI – The Will of Soldier
GENTRI– the Gentlemen’s Trio – comprised of distinguished tenors Brad Robins, Casey Elliott, and Bradley Quinn Lever, was established in June 2014. Since their beginning, they have been entertaining audiences across the nation with their unique style of music that...
Kaylea Hix and Yahosh Bonner – “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
This week’s “Video Find of the Week” features the vocal talents of two R&B and Pop Music fans, Yahosh Bonner and Kaylea Hix. In the featured video, they perform a flawless cover of Meghan Trainor’s song “Like I'm Gonna Lose You.” Yahosh Bonner comes from an...
Bored Shorts’ The Voice Video Featuring Madilyn Paige and Alex Boyé
The Utah based YouTube channel Bored Shorts TV is the official home of Kid Snippets, Senior Snippets, Kid Snippets News and Viral Videos, Kid History, Little Bigs, and more. The channel features four Utah dads – John, Dave, and Brett Roberts, and Richard Sharrah who...
Mormon Missionary Uses Power of Music to Teach Gospel to Anti-Mormon Congregation
The late Bruce R. McConkie, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972 until his death in 1985, exhorted, ‘Music is given of God to further his purposes. Sweet melodies mellow the souls of men and help...
The Duttons – Big Family, Big Show
Dean and Sheila Dutton never imagined a career in the entertainment industry. Dean was a tenured professor of economics for 26 years, but he took an unexpected early retirement when the family’s performing career took off. He had played guitar and sousaphone as a...
Jenny Oaks Baker – Pinball Wizard (The Who Cover)
Pinball machines have been around for quite some time, and have evolved from a simple tabletop game, into highly impressive and challenging games. Many modern pinball machines include a story line where the player must complete certain objectives in a certain fashion...