Rachel Schlesinger is a soprano currently pursuing her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studies under the mentorship of César Ulloa. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music. In the fall, she will continue her studies at the Yale School of Music under the tutelage of Gerald Martin Moore.

A compelling singing actress with a gift for both vocal finesse and emotional depth, Rachel has brought to life a wide range of operatic roles. Most recently, she performed the role of Dorinda in Handel’s Orlando with the SFCM Baroque Ensemble in spring 2025. Her additional stage credits include Gertrude (Hamlet), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Noémie (Cendrillon), Despina (Così fan tutte), and Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro). She has also been featured in major scenes or partial roles as Micaëla (Carmen), Iolanta (Iolanta), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), First Lady (Die Zauberflöte), and Blanche (Dialogues des Carmélites). In 2026, Rachel will perform the title role in Handel’s Alcina, Magda de Civry in Puccini’s La Rondine, and Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte.

Rachel was named a semifinalist in the 2026 Premiere Opera Foundation Competition. She was also named a semifinalist in the 2025 James Toland Vocal Arts Competition (Tier II) and the 2025 Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition. She won Third Place in the Shirley Rabb Winston Voice Scholarship Competition, sponsored by the National Society of Arts and Letters, and earned First Place in both the NATS Central Region Classical Voice Competition and the SUNY Purchase College Concerto Competition, performing Beethoven’s Ah! perfido with the Purchase Symphony Orchestra. Additional honors include the Schmidt Vocal Arts Alumni Summer Grant, the Music for Humanity Scholarship, and Honorable Mention from the Hal Leonard Art Song Vocal Competition.

She has participated in esteemed young artist programs including Classical Lyric Arts in France and Italy, the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, Westchester Summer Vocal Institute, and the International Summer Festival of Morelia. Rachel continues to cultivate her artistry through a deep commitment to expressive storytelling, technical precision, and stylistic versatility across a diverse repertoire.