Sandra Jarrett, d.m.a.    Lyric Soprano       Voice Teacher

SANDRA JARRETT, DMA, author of the recently published book Edvard Grieg and his Songs, has had a distinguished career as an opera, recital, and concert soloist in this country and abroad.  After receiving her B.A. cum laude from Harvard University, she earned the Soloist’s Diploma from the Longy School of Music, studying voice with Olga Averino.  She made her professional operatic debut as Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, and then emigrated to Germany where she won critical acclaim for leading roles in Carmen, Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Die Zauberflöte, and Entführung aus dem Serai, Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, Kalman’s Die Czardasfürstin, Offenbach’s Pariser Leben, Wolf-ferrari’s Die vier Grobiane, and many others.  She interrupted her operatic career to assume the roles of wife and mother, joining her husband in Norway.  Continuing to perform professionally, she added the roles of Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata, Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohême, Hanna in Lehar’s Die lustige Witwe, and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus to her repertoire of major roles.  While in Norway she became acquainted with the songs of Edvard Grieg, and she began to study and perform these neglected gems, receiving a grant from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture for her work. 

In 1987 Dr. Jarrett and her family embarked upon a global circumnavigation in their custom-built fifty foot sailing yacht, which included a built-in digital piano.  She continued to perform throughout the five years of this adventure, delighting audiences at ports of call around the world with her program of Norwegian songs.  Upon her return to the United States she continued her scholarly work with Edvard Grieg’s songs in the doctoral program at the University of Maryland’s School of Music.  While studying voice with Linda Mabbs and Martha Randall, performing, and writing her dissertation, she simultaneously taught voice at Salisbury University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  Upon completion of her DMA the book rights to her dissertation on the interpretation and performance of fifty of Edvard Grieg’s songs were acquired by Ashgate Publishing Company, and the book, Edvard Grieg and his Songs, was published in January 2003. 

Dr. Jarrett continues to perform as a soloist and lecturer in the Baltimore-Washington area, and abroad, most recently in Singapore where she gave lecture recitals and master classes.  She has established a large and active voice studio, Jarrett Studio of Vocal Arts, in Silver Spring, Maryland and at her home in Port Republic.  Her students range from young beginners to established professional singers.  They perform in four annual recitals, numerous competitions, operas, musicals, and other events.  Dr. Jarrett adjudicates frequently at vocal competitions locally and regionally.  She is currently Director of Vocal Music at St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardtown, Maryland.  She is also the founder of the Light Opera Company of Southern Maryland, a repertory opera company established to showcase professional vocal talent in southern Maryland.