Q: When did you start singing?

A: I participated in choir in elementary school, but I didn’t take formal singing lessons until high school.

Q: Who/what were your major influences?

A: I think I was always interested in performing. Some of my clearest memories from elementary school were when they had theater or music groups come to perform for us. My first voice teacher, Dr. Roberta (Bobbi) Moger, had such a big influence on me. Her two biggest things were vocal health and leading with joy. She’d always take time to find pieces for her students that spoke to them. Her love of music wasn’t ego driven and you could just tell how much joy it gave her to participate in music making. It was such a great way to be introduced to serious music study.

Q: What's a typical day like in the life of Sarah Coit?

A: I feel like I’ve just gotten out of the YAP [Young Artist Program] circuit, so there’s no such thing as a typical day yet, which I kind of love. Frequent gigging can give you a sense of homelessness, which I thought would be a struggle for me, but has actually made it easier for me to live in the moment. I don’t have kids and my boyfriend and I visit each other when we have time off and play tourist. It’s nothing like I expected and it’s really fun!

Q: Favorite performing experience so far?

A: That’s such a tough question. Performing experiences vary so much and what makes them great can be very different. I remember being so fulfilled by performing my Master's Degree recital at Michigan because I presented music I felt so strongly about and felt that I was taking those first steps towards presenting myself clearly as a person and an artist. Then there were summers at Brevard Music Center where we did four operas and were either singing roles or in the chorus for each. It made each show such a supportive group effort and we were all so close and had so much fun. I’ve also had those experiences in bigger young artist programs like OTSL [Opera Theatre of Saint Louis] and Santa Fe where you’re standing onstage with, covering, or even singing with singers who are operating at an insanely high artistic level and you can talk to them and ask them questions and that’s an awesome way to spend a few months. Then, of course, I’ve had those super humbling moments like when I was singing Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro and Susanne Mentzer was singing Marcellina. To be waiting to enter while she was singing that duet…little college Sarah could not have even imagined that. There are so many others I’ve loved so much, it’s hard to pick!