Sara Louise Petrocelli, mezzo-soprano, has been a rostered member of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus since 2013, performing under the direction of Chorus Master Donald Palumbo. Her work at the Met includes appearances in Borodin’s Prince Igor conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, multiple productions of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Verdi’s Requiem under Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin for the Met’s poignant return to the stage on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. She also performed in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem at Carnegie Hall and returns this season for Fidelio.

As a soloist, Sara has been praised for her rich tone, theatrical sensitivity, and affinity for both trouser roles and classic mezzo repertoire. Signature roles include the title role in Carmen, Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), and Sesto (La clemenza di Tito). Her portrayal of Beppe in L’amico Fritz with Winter Opera St. Louis was described by the Post-Dispatch as “a standout in both the singing and acting departments.” Sara subsequently returned to Winter Opera in 2022 to reprise Suzuki, and KDHX Opera Review said, “The best combination of acting and singing skills, though, can be found among the supporting roles…in mezzo Sara Louise Petrocelli’s tragically loyal Suzuki.”  She has also been featured with companies such as Opera Company of Middlebury, Dell’Arte Opera, New Rochelle Opera, and Western Plains Opera.

Sara’s early career included residencies with Sarasota Opera, Opera Saratoga, Caramoor Festival (now Teatro Nuovo), Natchez Opera, and Dicapo Opera. As a Studio Artist with Tulsa Opera, she performed a diverse repertoire including Adalgisa (Norma), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), and Jade Boucher in Dead Man Walking. She has also been recognized by competitions including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the International Concorso Lirico in Piemonte, Italy.

A lifelong student of the voice, Sara is deeply committed to the preservation and transmission of the old-world Italian and Swedish-Italian schools of vocal technique. Her teaching and singing are rooted in the bel canto principles championed by Nicola Vaccai and refined through the pedagogical lineage of Allan Lindquest. She continues to study with David Jones, a leading figure in this tradition.

Sara earned her Bachelor of Music from SUNY Purchase Conservatory and her Master of Music from Carnegie Mellon University with a minor in Italian Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a Catholic Music Director and a conductor member of the American Federation Pueri Cantores. Alongside her husband, baritone Chad Armstrong, she runs Armstrong Vocal Studio in Hillsdale, NJ, where they reside with their two children, Iris and Theodore.