Canadian mezzo-soprano Olivia Saragosa

is performing the lead role in Rossini's Cenerentola with the Mitteldeutsche Kammeroper in Theater Wittenberg, Boulotte in Offenbach's Bluebeard with Theater Hagen, Laura in Weber's Die drei Pintos with Opera in Concert, Toronto and Armelinde in Cendrillon in the Konzerthaus Berlin this season. She was the recipient of the Richard-Wagner-Verband Stipend for 2007. In the 2005/2006 season she has made guest appearances in Theater Bremen as Maddalena, Theater Flensburg as Isabella and Theater Lüneburg as 2nd Lady. Olivia was the mezzo-soprano soloist at Stadttheater Bremerhaven from 2004-2007, where her roles included Rosina, Isabella, Idamante, Prince Orlofsky, Cornelia (Giulio Cesare), Barbara (Katja Kabanowa), Maddalena, and 2nd Lady among others. In the season 2003-2004 she performed the leading role, Anna I in Die sieben Todsünden by Kurt Weill at the Schleswig-Holstein Landestheater Flensburg and Olga in Eugen Onegin with the Chamber Opera Hamburg. In the summer of 2003 she made her Italian debut in the title role of Carmen with Opera Studio Meran. She was an active free-lance artist in Germany since the completion of her vocal studies at the Hochschule für Musik 'Hanns Eisler' Berlin ('02) and at McGill University in Montreal (B. Mus.'98, M. Mus.'00). Masterclasses with Kammersänger Brigitte Fassbaender and Kammersänger Marjana Lipovsek at the Mozarteum in Salzburg added further to her vocal training.

Her professional debut was in Canada in the title role of Offenbach's La Périchole with Opera in Concert Toronto. Some other highlights of the past few years include performances of a spanish zarzuela La Verbena de la Paloma in Hebbel Theater Berlin, Fenena in a tour of Nabucco, Maddalena in Rigoletto with Theater Brandenburg and the Komische Kammeroper München, Tisbe in Cenerentola with Theater Görlitz, Venus in Orpheus in der Unterwelt with Lübecker Sommeroperette and an ongoing children's opera, Cendrillon, in the Konzerthaus Berlin.

During her studies Olivia Saragosa performed various roles in opera, operetta and musical including: Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Nireno (Giulio Cesare in Egitto), Anna (Die sieben Todsünden), Jessie (Mahagonny Songspiel), Lillian Holiday (Happy End), Mad Margaret (Ruddigore), Elisabeth Proctor (The Crucible), The Plant (Little Shop of Horrors) and others.

Next to her stage appearances, is Olivia Saragosa also an active concert soloist in oratorio, song recital and gala concerts. Her oratorio repertoire includes works from Bach, Beethoven (9th Symphony), Händel (Messiah), Mozart (Requiem), Verdi (Requiem), and Dvořák (Stabat Mater), among others.

Olivia Saragosa has won several prizes for her singing including: 1st prize in the Masters and Musical categories in the NATS Eastern Region, 1st prize in Quebec in the Canadian Music Competition, 3rd prize in the Interpretation of Czech and Slovak Music Competition in Montreal, the SOCAN prize for the best interpretation of a Canadian work in the Nouveau Monde Philharmonic Competition and was finalist and semi-finalist in international competitions. She was the recipient of the stipend from the Austrian Society of Montreal.