SONIA BEN-SANTAMARIA
BIOGRAPHY
" French conductor Ben-Santamaria is fast becoming one of the UK's most sought
after up-and-coming opera conductors."
2020, Ben-Santamaria has joined Opera North as their first female conductor associate.
Sonia was one of the six women conductors selected worldwide for the 2018 The Dallas Opera Hart Institute
as well as becoming that same year the first female conductor chosen to be
Link artist associate of the Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young Artist scheme.
2019 marks Sonia's debuts in London conducting Un Ballo in maschera for Opera Holland Park where she will be returning in 2022, to conduct two performances of Carmen.
Ben-Santamaria was a trainee repetiteur at the English National Opera 2011/2012 and the National Opera Studio 2010 after graduating from the Royal Academy of Music, London
and the Conservatoire National de Toulouse, France.
CURRICULUM VITAE
ORCHESTRE DE LA CITÉ D'INGRES 2021
Concert
GIANNI SCHICCHI
Mediterranean Opera Studio Festival 2021
OPERA NORTH
Assistant Associate Conductor 2019/2020
Green Eggs and Ham tour
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA
Opera Holland Park, June 2019
THE DALLAS OPERA
Hart Institute Gala, Dallas Opera Orchestra, Oct-Nov 2018
ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, COVENT GARDEN
Jette Parkers Scheme Link Artist, 2018 - 2019
CARMEN CARMEN CARMEN
An insight into Georges Bizet's Carmen
in support of Dress for Success, September 2018
BETWEEN CONSTELLATION by Ruth Chan
Grimborn Festival, August 2018
SWAP'RA GALA
Le Nozze di Figaro & Madama Butterfly (scenes)
Opera Holland Park, July 2018
CHAUSSON'S CONCERTO Op 21
soloists Vasko Vassilev & Serge Rybin
Royal Opera House, March 2018
MONSTROUS CHILD by G.Higgins
Royal Opera House, run through & presentation, Jan-Feb 2018
DON GIOVANNI
HeadFirst Productions, Sept-Oct 2017
TO HIMSELF, ALONE by J.Cabon
Tête à Tête Opera Festival, Aug 2017
DIE FLEDERMAUS
Opera Integra, March 2017
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Chelmsford City Opera & Orchestra 2013
TOSCA BACKSTAGE CONDUCTING
English National Opera 2011-2012
SELECTED WORK
FRENCH LANGUAGE COACH
Jette Parker Young Artists, 2018 - ongoing
LA TRAVIATA
Longborough Opera Festival, May-June 2018
(Chorus master & Assistant conductor)
CARMEN
Royal Opera House - Youth Company
(Rehearsal Conductor) Nov-Dec 2017 Jan & May 2018
EUGENE ONEGIN
Opera Up Close, Nov-Dec 2017
(Musical Director)
SUKANYA
Royal Opera House and Curve Leicester, Apr-May 2017
(Chief Repetiteur & Assistant conductor)
NATIONAL OPERA STUDIO
Short courses, 2013 - ongoing
(Vocal Coach & Repetiteur)
THAIS & NABUCCO
Chelsea Opera Group, 2017 & 2018
(Chorus master)
MACBETH & DIE FLEDERMAUS
Opera Integra, 2016 - 2017
(Musical director & Chorus master)
REPETITEUR WORK
Royal Opera House JPYA 2018
LA TRAVIATA Longborough Opera 2018
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO Opera de Bauge 2017
SUKANIYA Royal Opera House 2017
LA BOHEME, LAKME Opera Holland Park 2015 - 2016
FIGARO GETS A DIVORCE presentation with Sir David Pountney for Welsh National Opera at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden 2015
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER Welsh National Opera 2014
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR Winslow Hall Opera 2014
SALOME Wexford Festival Opera 2014
MADAMA BUTTERFLY YA Opera Holland Park 2013
LA TRAVIATA, IL TROVATORE, TOSCA Dorset Festival Opera 2011-2013
THE PASSENGER, TOSCA English National Opera 2011-2012
FIGARO covers cast English National Opera 2011
DON GIOVANNI YA Mid Wales Opera 2012
LA TRAVIATA, L’ELISIR D’AMORE, AIDA Riverside Opera 2009-2011
AWARDS
Leonard Hancock Memorial Trust Prize National Opera Studio 2010
Musicians’ Benevolent Fund Award for Repetiteur 2010
Major Van Someren-Godfrey Memorial Prize for Accompaniment in English Song 2006
Elsie Prater Award and Royal Academy of Music Power Biggs Award 2005