Soprano Jessica Sandidge has been praised for her “luminous strands of silver vocalism” (Parterre Box) and her “voice of both power and beauty” (Operawire). She debuted as Manon Lescaut this season with Opera Festival of Chicago, in which The Hyde Park Herald deemed her a “marvelous Manon, bringing superb technique that resulted in admirable consistency [with] silver sparkle.” Other credits include the role of Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, with Musica Viva in Hong Kong. Recent performances include Micaëla in Carmen: The Traveller with Pensacola Opera, the title role in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah with Delaware Valley Opera, and a Candle Light Concert of Puccini and Verdi arias with The Highline String Quartet. She will also debut as a soloist with the Los Angeles Symphony, and Gulf Shore Opera.
​
Jessica first joined the Metropolitan Opera in their 2016/17 season. She was cast in cover roles such as Jano (Jenůfa) and Dawn in the US premiere of Nico Muhly's Marnie, which is based on the Hitchcock film.
​
In 2022 she was a Grand Prize Winner in the Marker and Pioneer International Singing Competition Soprano category as well as Third Place Winner in both the London International Music Competition and the Medici International Music Competition. She was also granted an Encouraegment Award from The Wagner Society of New York in 2019.
"Jessica Sandidge offered silvery high notes, decorated runs, and a dramatic middle range that made her characters come to life."
-Broadway World
​
She has worked with Sarasota Opera several times. ​Her debut there was in 2020 as Musetta (La Bohème) and Walter (La Wally). Her performance as the trouser role Walter in La Wally "displayed vocal virtuosity”(Opera Warhorses). In 2022 she made her role debut as Marie in Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment, which received critical acclaim from The Herald Tribune: “Sandidge has a voice you could listen to all day as she negotiates florid coloratura with great ease up and down her range.”
​
In 2019 Jessica was honored to debut the role of Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly) with Long Island Lyric Opera with stage director Carol Castel, of the late Nico Castel.
​
Jessica has performed in a number of World Premiere pieces during her career. In the Summer of 2022 she performed with The American Opera Project in a World Premiere performance of Letters that you will not get: Women's voices from The Great War, a contemporary chamber opera by Kirsten Volness. In 2024, with West Bay Opera, she sang the role of Eva Peròn in the US premiere of Corpus Evita, by Carlos Franzetti. In 2017 she was only the second soprano to ever perform the role of Margaret Hughes in Carlisle Floyd’s last work, Prince of Players.
​
​
​
She has also received critical acclaim in rarely performed operas such as Donizetti’s Il Pigmalione (Galatea) with New York City Opera which was hailed by The New York Times. And three of Gluck’s one act operas: The Reformed Drunkard (Colette) with Little Opera Theater of NY, and La Corona (Atalanta)/Il Parnaso Confuso (Apollo) with Pacific Opera Project.​
In 2018 she made her company debut with St Pete Opera as Violetta (La Traviata), a role she had previously performed several times. She then sang Norma which she debuted later that year in New Jersey. That summer she also reprised Mimì (Bohème) with Pittsburgh Festival Opera.
​
​
​
Jessica has performed at Carnegie Hall several times in new works and the old classics. Her debut was Soprano in Fauré's Requiem in 2015. And in 2016 she premiered A Prayer for Mother Earth, by Ivo Antogninni. This concert also included solos in Requiem for the Living by Dan Forrest. Her Lincoln Center debut was in 2016 when she performed Violetta's aria, Ah, forse è lui...Sempre libera in Rose Hall. She then performed as Soprano in the National Chorale's Messiah Sing-in at David Geffen Hall.
Jessica currently lives in Los Angeles with her fiancé and teaches voice at Azusa Pacific University in addition to her performance schedule. She also sings and plays mandolin with her band The Opera Cowgirls at opera houses and theaters across the US.
Photos by Daniel Welch Media
