ABOUT

Polish-American opera singer, Sarah Zieba, is a member of the Young Singers’ Programme at the Finnish National Opera for the 2025-2027 seasons. In the 26/27 season, she will perform Laurene Powell-Jobs in “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs”, Mrs. Sedley in “Peter Grimes”, and Elisabetta in “Maria Stuarda”. Last season she performed Zweite Magd/Schleppträgerin in “Elektra”, Flora in “La Traviata”, and Linda in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s newest opera, “Festen”. Zieba’s stylistic versatility and ease in languages allows her to seamlessly navigate a wide range of roles: from Mozart and bel canto, to verismo and contemporary, and everything in between.

Zieba was a part of the Boston University Opera Institute studying with Penelope Bitzas where she performed the roles of Sesto in Mozart's "La Clemenza di Tito", the title role in Massenet's "Cendrillon", and Jo in Mark Adamo's "Little Women". She received her Master of Music from Northwestern University studying under Nancy Gustafson where she performed the lead role of Brittomara in Jake Heggie's Midwest premiere of "If I Were You" in February 2022. Her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry is from there as well.

In previous summers, Zieba attended the Chautauqua Institution for Voice where she most recently performed the lead role of Salud in Manuel de Falla's "La Vida Breve." Chautauqua holds a dear place in her heart for it is where she realized she wanted to pursue a career as an opera singer instead of her dream to become a surgeon. She is grateful to Marlena Malas for changing her life in the best way possible.

When she is not singing, she loves to hike, travel, work out, cook, and salsa dance. Zieba is originally from Orland Park, Illinois.

An advocate of Spanish opera, Zieba performed the newly rediscovered opera “El Caminante” by Cuban composer Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes at the Popayán International Music Festival in Colombia. Equally passionate about concert work, Zieba has performed de Falla's "El Amor Brujo", Mozart’s "Requiem”, Mendelssohn's "Elijah", and Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde."

  • Cendrillon

    “Zieba enchanted us upon her first note. Her humble yet hopeful portrayal of Cendrillon floated through the audience with melancholy that contrasted the stepsisters brashness. Zieba was a natural princess, but her voice held strength beyond its years.”

    - The Daily Free Press

  • A young woman sitting on a stage, wearing a white blouse with lace details and a red skirt, with her hair styled in a loose updo, looking thoughtfully to her right.

    Little Women

    “Zieba made a great fit as the most strong-willed of four loving sisters. Her petulance seemed something of an idée fixe, but her vocalisms easily rode the prancing, galloping, slashing, and reverent score…looking like the girl next door, but sounding like a knowing soul we’d like to meet.”

    - Boston Music Intelligencer

  • Two women performing on a stage; one is sitting in a chair, eyes closed, the other stands behind her, smiling and looking at her.

    If I Were You

    “Brittomara, sung on Saturday by mezzo-soprano Sarah Zieba, was on stage for almost the whole opera and had to seamlessly shift between different vocal styles, singing operatically one moment and like a cabaret singer the next. Zieba’s stylistic flexibility and enigmatic stage presence was impressive.”

    - Chicago Classical Review