Soprano Mara Bonde has thrilled audiences in diverse venues with her electric stage presence and musical artistry. Her voice has been described as having “sweet purity of tone” (Boston Herald) and “ravishing” (The Boston Globe). Equally at home in both classical and popular styles, Mara is no stranger to the world of symphony pops. She has been the guest artist for “Holiday Pops” concerts with the Boston Pops, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Naples Philharmonic, and with the Baton Rouge, Lansing, New Haven, Syracuse, and Charlotte Symphony Orchestras. Other orchestral engagements have taken her to the Firebird Pops, Waltham Philharmonic, South Florida, Utah, San Diego, Stamford, Ridgefield, Waterbury, Cape, Cape Ann, Melrose, Quincy and Nashua Symphony Orchestras, the Handel & Haydn Society, and Boston Baroque.
Her stage repertoire includes both opera and classic music theater roles; a few favorites are Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (Reagle Music Theatre), Mrs. Page in Sir John in Love (Odyssey Opera), Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls (Reagle Music Theatre), Marian in The Music Man (Greater Lowell Music Theater), Lilli Vanessi/Kate in Kiss me Kate (Commonwealth Opera) and Adina in L’Elisir d’amore (Sarasota Opera). Mara has also graced the stages of Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Omaha, Glimmerglass Opera, Utah Opera, Light Opera Oklahoma, Opera Company of North Carolina and the Artist Series of Sarasota in works ranging from Mozart to Mollicone, and Sullivan to Sondheim. This season Mara returns to Boston Lyric Opera covering the role of The Farmer in The Seasons and as ensemble in Carousel. Mara was a National Semi-Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (first place winner Rocky Mountain Region) and the first prize winner in the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Award.
Mara also performs regularly alongside mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy & pianist Brian Moll as a member of Concerts 4 Good, a musical outreach ensemble bringing music where it’s needed most: to the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, Mclean Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Bay Cove Human Services…and more. Mara is thrilled to be back performing with the Firebird Pops Orchestra in repertoire near and dear to her heart!