In the Press.
DIE WALKÜRE
Helmwige | Opernhaus Zürich
“Undoubtedly, Fricka found the full-voiced Helmwige of Sarah Cambidge, who enthusiastically led her sisters in the Ride of the Valkyries, equally annoying. One couldn’t help but think this was a future Brünnhilde in the making.”
— Rich Perdian, Parterre Box
“One of the Valkyries caught my ear, and that was Canadian soprano Sarah Cambidge as Helmwige; a Brünnhilde in the making I would suggest.”
— John Rhodes, Seen and Heard International
RUSALKA
Foreign Princess | San Francisco Opera
“Soprano Sarah Cambidge, just out of her time as an Adler fellow, showed the outlines of a promising Wagnerian career to come in her fine, muscular performance as the Foreign Princess”
— Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle
“As the jealous foreign princess, Sarah Cambidge has just the right level of bright sharpness (both tonally and actorly) to be amiably vicious.”
— Michael J. Vaughn, Operaville
“The Foreign Princess is a tough role to crack, and soprano Sarah Cambidge was wholly successful. First, she sang the spots off the page and limned her many arching barbs and insinuations with an acidic beauty. The hint of metal in Ms Cambidge's plump, rangy soprano is just the right fit for the role's demands. She is also able to utilize her regal beauty to make it almost ('almost') plausible that the Prince would throw over Rusalka for the opera's least sympathetic character. It is quite a balancing act and Sarah achieved it.”
— James Sohre, Classical Music Daily
“In her debut as the Foreign Princess, Canadian soprano Sarah Cambidge demonstrated the Wagnerian qualities of her young voice.”
— Edward Sava-Segal, Bachtrack
“Sarah Cambidge’s dark-hued dramatic soprano makes for a powerful Foreign Princess.”
— Truman Wang, Classical Voice
“Soprano Sarah Cambridge, a recent Adler Fellow, was a perfunctory, steely toned Foreign Princess.”
— Michael Milenski, Opera Today
“Canadian soprano Sarah Cambidge gave an admirable performance as the Foreign Princess, visually, dramatically and vocally persuasive as a woman who both conveys power and enforces conformity to conventional social behaviors.”
— William Burnett, Opera War Horses
DIE WALKÜRE
Sieglinde | Opera National de Bordeaux
“Sa soeur et son amante Sarah Cambidge est une découverte exceptionnelle. Son timbre nous transporte avec une projection de voix particulièrement puissante et fruitée qui nous fait vibrer. Quelle voix ! Tout est beau.”
—Jean-Claud Meymerit
“En Sieglinde, Sarah Cambidge se révèle complémentaire dans la sensibilité habitant une ligne à la fois claire et puissante.”
—Gilles Charlassier, Toute La Culture
“Flatté par une formidable acoustique, le duo Sieglinde-Siegmund peut ainsi tourner au concours de cantabile. Elle, c'est Sarah Cambidge, soprano toutes voiles dehors, avec de l'or liquide dans la voix, phrasant ses emportements passionnels comme des airs de Mozart (la petite sœur de Nina Stemme, en somme : à suivre !).”
—Emmanuel Dupuy, Diapason
“Die blutjunge US-Amerikanerin Sarah Cambidge kam wie aus dem blauen Himmel aus San Francisco und sang ihre erste Sieglinde, betörend und ausdrucksstark bei bester Diktion.”
—Klaus Billand, Merker
“Sarah Cambidge en Sieglinde, sœur et amante, est une découverte exceptionnelle. Son timbre charnel et sa projection particulièrement puissante, sont impressionnants.”
—Jean-Claude Meymerit, Forum Opera
ELEKTRA
Chrysothemis | Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe
“Mit großem Aplomb und vollem Stimmeinsatz lässt die Sopranistin Sarah Cambidge als Chrysotemis fast vergessen, dass es noch andere Sängerinnen auf der Bühne gibt.”
— Klaus J. Loderer, OpernLoderer
“Sarah Cambidge steht ihr als wunderbar voluminöse und fraulich-warme Chrysothemis in nichts nach. Die Duette dieser beiden ausgezeichneten Sängerinnen sind ein großer Glanzpunkt des Strauss-Gesangs.”
— Alexander Walther, Merker
“Die Chrysothemis der Sarah Cambidge ist eine schöne, volltönende Stimme – endlich einmal bei dieser oft stiefmütterlich behandelten Partie.”
— Bernd Künzig, SWR2
ADLER FINAL CONCERT
Isolde in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde & Helena in Strauss’s Die ägyptische Helena
Adler Fellow 2018 | San Francisco Opera
“In soprano Sarah Cambidge and tenor Kyle van Schoonhoven, the program boasts not just one but two singers with the stamina, muscle and sheer lung power to undertake the demanding music of Wagner and Strauss...Cambidge and van Schoonhoven distinguished themselves first individually – in excerpts from Strauss’ rarely heard “Die Ägyptische Helena” and Wagner’s “Parsifal,” respectively – and then together, bringing the evening to a close with a sumptuous traversal of the love duet from Act 2 of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde.” The path to Wagnerian mastery is long and arduous, and these two are clearly well on their way.”
— San Francisco Chronicle
“Soprano Sarah Cambidge (Vancouver, B.C. Can.) is a second-year AF also destined for fame. Her liquid, pure voice is rich enough for Richard Strauss, and her aria from "Die Agyptische Helen" proved it. She also has some Wagner on the horizon, maybe Sieglinde? Or even Isolde? She ended the concert paired with robust second-year tenor Kyle van Schoonhoven (Lockport, NY) in a magnificent love duet from "Tristan und Isolde" that made it seem a strong possibility.”
—Phillip Campbell, Bay Area Reporter
“...presented by the San Francisco Opera Center, when Cambidge and van Schoonhoven found their musical destiny in the love duet, "Soll ich lauschen?', from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. The kiss was replayed - and then some - by these two powerhouse singers... Well before the evening's Wagner finale, Cambidge had already given a dynamic, lustrous account of an aria from Strauss's Die Ägyptische Helena and pitched in on a Rossini chorus from Il Viaggio a Reims... Cambidge's soaring and searing mezzo, especially in the Strauss, stood out for this listener.”
— Steven Winn, San Francisco Classical Voice
“The concert closed with the final love duet from Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde." Soprano Sarah Cambidge's performance was filled with perfect tone and clarity of diction. Her partner, tenor Kyle van Schoonhoven, sang in a bright yet strongly supported voice that surely indicated many more memorable performances to come.”
—Jesse Seguin, Theaterstorm
DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN
Third Norn | San Francisco Opera
“SF Opera Adler Fellow Sarah Cambidge was a cutting and powerful Third Norn, dropping down to a stirring undertone as she predicted that 'eternal night will fall upon the gods.”
—John Masko, Parterre
“Zambello’s Norns (Ronnita Miller, Jamie Barton and Sarah Cambidge) are the hapless ghosts in this machine and they couldn’t be better sung. Impeccable diction and voices of real substance get the opera off to a tremendously powerful start.”
—Clive Paget, Limelight: Australia's Classical Music and Arts Magazine
“The two female trios that frame “Götterdämmerung” with ostentatious symmetry were both splendidly delivered — first the all-seeing Norns (Ronnita Miller, Jamie Barton and Sarah Cambidge)...”
—Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle
“All three Norns (Ronnita Miller, Jamie Barton, and Adler fellow Sarah Cambidge) have marvelous voices and technique...”
—Charles Kruger, TheatreStorm
“The prelude is pure early 2000s cyberpunk. The Norns... sing their knowledge – Ronnita Miller with huge access of sound, Jamie Barton with a chesty middle register, and Sarah Cambidge with resounding top notes – until the node for the cables falls in a shower of sparks.”
—Ilana Walder-Biesanz, Bachtrack
“Götterdämmerung, the long denouement of the Ring, began Sunday afternoon with the three Norns, mezzo-sopranos Miller and Barton and soprano Sarah Cambidge, luminously recapitulating events amid greenery and a jumble of rubber cables.”
—James Ambroff-Tahan, SF Examiner
“Miller (First Norn) and the very promising Sarah Cambidge (Third Norn) also offered a high vocal standard.”
—David Shengold, Gay City News
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA
Amelia | Livermore Valley Opera
“Lyric soprano Sarah Cambidge is debuting at LVO [Livermore Valley Opera] in her role as Amelia...In “Ma dall’arido stelo divulsa,” the first of Cambidge’s two big arias, she invokes God’s help with high B-flats and a high C ... In Act III, she has to tame those emotions in her aria “Morro, ma prima in grazia” where Amelia somberly pleads with her husband to let her see her son one last time. In both arias, Cambidge jumps almost three octaves, deserving a standing ovation in its own right, which the LVO audience delivered in rousing fashion.”
—Sarah Bobson, The Independent
“Amelia’s soliloquy showcases the remarkably powerful yet mellifluous voice of Sarah Cambidge. The soprano pulls out all stops in her mournful aria “Ma dall’arido stelo divulsa” as she prays to overcome her conflict.”
—Victor Cordell, ForAllEvents
ADLER CONCERT:
THE FUTURE IS NOW
Amelia in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera & Arabella in Strauss’s Arabella
Adler Fellow | San Francisco Opera
“The audience favorites were surely the largest voices. Soprano Sarah Cambidge's 'Morrò, ma prima in grazia' (Un Ballo in Maschera) rang through the house. The aria highlighted her sweeter, softer tones as well as her resounding loud notes, and it gave her a chance to prove that she carries her vocal power throughout her range.”
—Ilana Walder-Biesanz, San Francisco Classical Voice
“Sarah Cambidge and Brad Walker shone in a duet from Verdi’s The Masked Ball, and Cambidge sang memorably the title role in a duet from Strauss’ Arabella against Andrew Manea’s Mandryka.”
—Janos Gereben, Opera West
MEROLA OPERA
SCHWABACHER CONCERT
Elsa in Wagner’s Lohengrin | San Francisco Opera
“Arguably, the biggest guns were brought out for ... the second half of the bill, Canadian soprano Sarah Cambidge (Elsa) and tenor Kyle van Schoonhoven (Lohengrin) from Lockport, NY filled their taxing responsibilities with apparent ease … he thrilled with his full-throated and sweet tone. Cambidge matched him with a bright voice, free of shrillness and charged with emotion.”
—Philip Campbell, Bay Area Reporter
“Soprano Sarah Cambidge and heldentenor Kyle van Schoonhoven were a commanding Elsa and Lohengrin; she is a fully fledged Wagnerian, a Brünnhilde-in-waiting.”
—Caroline Crawford, Bay City News
“Sarah Cambidge showed off a light and pleasing soprano in her [Metropolitan Opera] debut as Lady Macbeth’s lady-in-waiting”
—Eric C. Simpson, New York Classical Review
