Sonja Tengblad

Supports: Braver Angels (bipartisan conversation), Mothers Out Front, Environmental Defense Fund, and Cool Earth (forest protection through indigenous populations)

Described as “radiant” by Opera Magazine, recent highlights for soprano Sonja DuToit Tengblad include Shostakovich Symphony 14 with A Far Cry, Mahler’s 2nd Symphony with the Boston Philharmonic, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra; Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea (Drusilla, Fortuna) and Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (La Fortuna, Giunone; Grammy-nominated recording with Linn Records), Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans (Abra and Ozias), and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (First Lady) with Boston Baroque; Bach’s St. John Passion and Purcell’s Fairy Queen (2nd Fairy, Juno) and Dido and Aeneas (2nd Woman) with the Handel and Haydn Society; Porpora’s Calcante ed Achille (Achille) with A Far Cry; Handel’s Acis and Galatea (Galatea) with the Blue Hill Bach Festival; Francesca Caccini's Alcina with the Boston Early Music Festival; Handel's Messiah with the Rhode Island Philharmonic; guest appearances with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and Minnesota’s Oratory Bach; Puccini's Suor Angelica (Sister Dolcina) with the Lorelei Ensemble and the Boston Symphony Orchestra; numerous works, premieres and recordings with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and her Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center debuts, both with the New York City Chamber Orchestra. She was awarded 2nd place in the 2014 American Prize competition’s art song and oratorio division

A champion of new music, Ms. Tengblad curated Modern Dickinson (with Seattle Opera regular Eric Neuville, tenor, and Austin Chamber Music Festival’s artistic director Michelle Schumann, piano), a touring program featuring all 21st century settings of Emily Dickinson’s poetry that was named the #3 Best Arts Event in Austin, Texas 2015 and nominated for four Austin Critic’s Table Awards. She has premiered and recorded two works with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and in 2015 premiered Shirish Korde’s Questions for the Moon with members of the Silk Road Ensemble. A highlight for Ms. Tengblad was appearing in a concert celebrating the 80th birthday of composer Dominic Argento (in attendance) for which the Minnesota Star Tribune reported her to have given “the most affective performance of the evening”. In 2017 she co-founded the soprano/percussion duo Beat Song with percussionist Jonathan Hess, featuring world premieres by Emmy award-winning composer Kareem Roustom, ASCAP Nissim Prize winner Matthew Peterson, and Adam Jacob Simon.

Ms. Tengblad performs with the Grammy-winning ensemble Conspirare out of Austin, Texas; and Boston’s Blue Heron and the Lorelei Ensemble which enjoyed their debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2017. Upcoming highlights include Ariodante (Dalinda) with Boston Baroque, national tours of Considering Matthew Shepard with Conspirare, as well as a climate change-centered program with Calliope’s Call, Boston’s premiere art song organization.