Praised by Opera News for her “unusually rich and resonant” voice, contralto Sara Couden is a premiere interpreter of operatic, chamber, and song repertoire. Her latest triumphs include a role debut as Nurse in Dukas’ rarely-performed masterwork ARIANE ET BARBE-BLEUE with West Edge Opera, as well as company debuts with the Philadelphia Orchestra as Mother/Chinese Cup/Dragon Fly (L’ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES), the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as the Alto Soloist in Julia Perry’s STABAT MATER, and the Charleston Symphony in Beethoven’s NINTH SYMPHONY. Ms. Couden also recorded her debut solo album, the complete vocal works of Artur Schnabel, on the Steinway & Sons label. Her 2022-23 season includes a return to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Mrs. Sedley (PETER GRIMES) and company premieres with the Seattle Symphony in Händel’s MESSIAH, the California Symphony in songs by Mahler, and the Eureka Symphony in Mozart’s REQUIEM. 

Highlights of recent seasons include a return to Carnegie Hall as the Alto Soloist in Karl Jenkins’ STABAT MATER, role debuts as Juno (SEMELE) and Marquise de Berkenfeld (LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT) with St. Petersburg Opera, Dejanira (HERCULES) at the Staunton Music Festival, Testo in Stradella’s LA SUSANNA with Heartbeat Opera and Opera Lafayette, Bach cantatas at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Series, Shostakovich’s FROM JEWISH FOLK POETRY with the Chamber Music Series at Lincoln Center, Bach’s ST. MATTHEW PASSION with True Concord Voices, and a return to the Met to cover Erste Magd (ELEKTRA) and Marta and Pantalis (MEFISTOFELE). She also premiered the roles of Ruth (PIRATES OF PENZANCE) with Winter Opera St. Louis, Israelitish Man (JUDAS MACCABAEUS) with Philharmonia Baroque and Ormindo (ERMELINDA) with Ars Minerva. 

Other favorite performances include Ms. Couden’s debut with the Metropolitan Opera as Tetka (JENUFA) and Albine (THAÏS). She also toured Japan with Maestro Masaaki Suzuki in Bach’s B MINOR MASS, sang Third Lady (DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Dryade (ARIADNE AUF NAXOS) with West Edge Opera and the Alto Soloist in Mahler’s SECOND SYMPHONY with the Santa Cruz Symphony and Beethoven’s NINTH SYMPHONY with the San Francisco Symphony, Tucson Symphony and Charlotte Symphony. 

Ms. Couden is a graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Program at the Metropolitan Opera and an alumna of the Marlboro Music Festival, Music@Menlo, Music Academy of the West, and the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. She holds a M.M with Honors in Opera from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and an A.D. in Early Music, Chamber Music, and Oratorio from the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music.