Sofia Asghari (2001) studies at the Folkwang University of the Arts with Professor Rachel Robins in Essen.
As a 12-year-old Sofia got fascinated by the aria Der Hölle Rache from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and she took up singing and violin lessons at the Winterswijk school of music. Half a year later this busy bee competed in Holland’s Got Talent where she sang her favourite aria Der Hölle Rache. After the show she was invited by several people and festivals and events. The mayor of Winterswijk invited her to sing at the New Year reception. She was also invited by Tatiana Chevtchouk to the Amsterdam event Klassiek op het Amstelveld, she sang at the Mozart ball in Zeist and she was interviewed by a film director from Paris. She sang with brass band Crescendo and a men’s choir on the occasion of their 70th anniversary. She also sang at benefit concerts for Nepal and Africa.
In 2015 Sofia was invited for the Superkids programme where she sang the famous O mio babbino caro aria From Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi. With her performance she reached the semi-finals. In 2016 Sofia was awarded an Honourable Mention at the Princess Christina competition and in 2017 she was a member of the laureate jury of the Princess Christina competition. During the Tilburg Bach competition she reached the semi-finals with the aria Quia respexit from Bach’s Hohe Messe.
In June 2016 she sang her first oratorio, Mendelssohn’s Elias, and she was invited to sing Der Knabe and first soprano in the terzetto Hebe deine Augen auf conducted by Eric Kotterink.
In 2018, Sofia was invited by the Romansiade festival in San Marino. She gave a song recital by the composer Tchaikovksy in theatre Titano. She won the first prize in her category. As a prize she sang in the Tchaikovsky Saal in Hamburg.
In 2019, Sofia was invited by Tatiana Chevtchouk, who is known from Klassiek op het Amstelveld, Mozart ball (2017) and Tchaikovsky ball (2019). She sang Otchevo op.6 no.5 by Tchaikovsky at the Tchaikovsky ball at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam.
In 2019, Sofia has been accepted at the Folkwang Universität der Künste, where she is happy to begin her first year of bachelor’s studies.
After her studies Sofia would like to focus on the opera repertoire and in 2017 she was given the opportunity to sing a soldier’s part in the world première of the opera Octavia at the Holland Festival in the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ.
Education:
Young Talentclass, ArtEZ conservatorium in Zwolle 2014-2017
Preparatory programme, ArtEZ conservatorium in Zwolle 2017-2018
Preparatory programme and first year bachelor theory subjects ArtEZ in Zwolle 2018-2019
Bachelor Folkwang Universität der Künste in Essen 2019-now
Teachers:
2012-2014 Louise Werner
2014-2019 Claudia Patacca
2019- now Professor Rachel Robins
Languages:
Dutch, English, German and Russian.
