Praised for her “lustrous soprano voice”, Evelyn Saavedra is quickly establishing herself as a “gifted young singer to watch” (South Florida Classical Review). Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Florida, Evelyn returned to Pensacola Opera for the 2017/18 season as an Artist in Resident where she was seen in the roles of Maria in Maria de Buenos Aires, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, and Antonia in Man of La Mancha. During the 2016/17 season, she debuted as Young Alyce in Glory Denied, Sacerdotessa in Aïda, and Sister Catherine in the Florida premiere of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, where she also covered the role of Kitty Hart. Other operatic credits include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Rose in Street Scene, The Governess in The Turn of the Screw, Featured Dater in the world premiere of Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight, and Agrippina in Agrippina where she was praised for “coloring her vocalism expressively… she dominated every scene, singing with striking dramatic heft and passion” (South Florida Classical Review).
In 2016 she returned to the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center to perform the female title role of Epiphany Proudfoot in the world premiere of Falling Angel, an opera by J. Mark Scearce, where she was lauded for being an “alluring soprano (who) brought sensitivity to Epiphany” (Wall Street Journal). On the concert stage she has been featured in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Handel’s Messiah with the Choral Society of Pensacola. The 2017/18 season marked her debut with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra where she appeared as a soloist in their Mozart Madness concert. Other credits include soprano soloist in Vaughn Williams’s Serenade to Music conducted by Keith Lockhart as well as his Symphony No.3 conducted by Jayce Ogren with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra.
Ms. Saavedra holds a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance & Literature from the Eastman School of Music where she received the first prize at the Friends of Eastman Opera Competition in 2015, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Florida International University.