Often referred to as a “stage animal”, SOPHIA BAETE is an American Mezzo Soprano from Louisville, KY with a burning passion for storytelling and direct communication with audiences. Sophia is honored to serve as a Lindemann Young Artist at The Metropolitan Opera for the 26/27 season.

At 23 years old Sophia was named a Grand Finalist of the 2026 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. During her first year in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, she will make her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Shepherdess in the Company’s new production of Janáček’s Jenůfa before covering the Second Sentry in Parsifal. Recent operatic engagements include Cio-Cio-San’s Aunt and Suzuki (cover) in Madama Butterfly and Dagmar (cover) in Lili Elbe with the Santa Fe Opera, Meg Page in Falstaff with Juilliard Opera, and Sally in Die Fledermaus with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. An avid recitalist and concert artist, she made her Alice Tully Hall debut in 2025 as Un Pâtre in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, performed the world premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s The Earth at Carnegie Hall, and performed Berio’s Folk Songs under the baton of Barbara Hannigan as part of the Juilliard Fall Festival. She has participated in Renée Fleming’s prestigious SongStudio, has a longstanding relationship with the New York Festival of Song, and was named the winner of the 2026 Juilliard Honors Recital. Notable honors and awards include the Grand Prize and the Lissner Charitable Fund Award in the 2025 Opera Index Vocal Competition, the Renata Scotto Prize in the 2025 Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition, and a 2026 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition grant. 

Sophia is a proud alumna of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist Program, the Ravinia Steans Institute, the Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Carnegie Hall’s SongStudio, the Denyce Graves Foundation’s Shared Voices Program, the Caramoor Vocal Rising Stars Residency, Chautauqua Opera, and Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artists Vocal Academy. 

Ms. Baete recently graduated with her Master’s in Vocal Arts at The Juilliard School where she also completed her undergraduate studies under the tutelage of Darrell Babidge, whom she continues to work with in the Lindemann Program. Sophia was proud to be a Jerome L. Greene Fellow at The Juilliard School.