Conversations with Sadie Habas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sadie Habas.

Hi Sadie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hello! I’m Sadie Habas (she/her), a pre-professional mezzo-soprano entering the second year of my master’s degree at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. My work is rooted at the intersection of the arts and social justice, and I’m especially interested in how classical voice can be used as a tool to inspire empathy, inform policy, and drive positive change.

My musical journey began at age 10 when I joined the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC). Over the years, I advanced through the chorus school and eventually became a member of the touring Premier Ensemble. Those years gave me incredible opportunities to perform and collaborate at a professional level from a young age. Through SFGC, I toured in Paris and London, performed at Carnegie Hall with Philip Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble, recorded My Outstretched Hand with The Knights Orchestra, and contributed to the closing credits soundtrack for the Netflix documentary Athlete A, recorded at Skywalker Ranch. More than anything, those experiences showed me the discipline, collaboration, and dedication required to create music at the highest level, which ultimately inspired me to pursue vocal performance professionally.

After the pandemic, I moved across the country to attend Boston University, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Dr. Lynn Eustis. At BU, I performed in my junior and senior recitals, studied abroad at the Royal College of Music in London, and sang at the Boston Symphony Orchestra for four consecutive years. My education there and work with Dr. E challenged me to grow not only as a singer, but also as a well-rounded artist, reinforcing that a career in classical music requires persistence, meticulous attention to detail, and a genuine love for the craft.

The summer before my senior year, I found myself at a crossroads. I wasn’t sure whether to continue studying voice, take time to freelance, or pursue a different path altogether. I had seriously considered graduate programs in public policy and even law school because of my passion for advocacy and social justice. But when my professors generously offered to record graduate school prescreens for the voice students, I decided to take one more leap of faith. I applied to seven graduate voice programs across the country. Despite receiving plenty of differing advice along the way, I realized I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Continuing my journey as a singer felt like the right choice.

Wanting to reconnect with my California roots, I chose to attend the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where I now study with Michael Dean. My first year has been filled with opportunities that reaffirmed my decision. I performed twice with the professional vocal ensemble Seraphic Fire, participated in an opera scenes production, and collaborated with a living composer and librettist on a new work supported by UCLA. More recently, I attended OperaFest at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and am preparing to participate in the N.E.O. Voice Festival, where I’ll once again collaborate with living composers and premiere new works.

Looking back, every stage of my journey has reinforced my belief that music is about much more than performance. It’s about storytelling, community, and creating uplifting spaces. As I begin my second year at UCLA, I’m excited to continue growing as an artist while exploring how classical voice can serve as a meaningful force for connection and social impact.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges came during my undergraduate years at Boston University. In the spring of my junior year, I studied abroad at the Royal College of Music in London. When I returned to BU, I realized there were important aspects of my vocal technique that hadn’t continued to develop while I was abroad. It was a difficult realization, especially because I was preparing my first recital and hoping to audition for summer opera programs. Instead, I had to accept that the best thing I could do was step back, rebuild my technique, and focus on long-term growth rather than rushing toward the next opportunity. That experience taught me to trust the process and was an important reminder that progress isn’t always linear.

The transition into graduate school brought a different set of challenges. Moving across the country for a second time meant leaving behind the community I had built over four years in Boston – my beloved teacher, Dr. Lynn Eustis, my friends, and a place that had truly become home. Starting over in Los Angeles required me to adapt to a new city, build new relationships, and learn from an entirely new group of mentors. Although the faculty at UCLA has been significant in my journey and I’ve grown tremendously as an artist, adjusting after such a formative undergraduate experience wasn’t easy.

Looking back, those moments of uncertainty have ultimately made me a more resilient musician. They’ve taught me to be patient, embrace change, and recognize that growth often comes from the periods that feel the most challenging.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a classically trained mezzo-soprano with a deep passion for contemporary art song, opera, and vocal chamber music. While I love the traditional operatic canon, I’m especially drawn to working with living composers and performing new works that engage with social issues of our current times. I believe classical music is a timeless art form that is a powerful medium for connection and change in the present day.

What I’m most proud of are the opportunities I’ve had to collaborate with living composers and help bring new works to life. Last summer, at the Cortona Sessions for New Music, I performed in the festival premiere of GIRLHOOD by Emma Cardon-Waake. The piece explores the often contradictory messages women receive through social media about how to exist in a patriarchal society. It was an incredibly moving experience, and hearing audience members and fellow performers connect so deeply with the work reminded me of the power classical music has to spark conversation and make people feel seen.
More recently, I joined the roster of Tonality, a Los Angeles-based professional choir that commissions and performs music centered on social justice themes, including gun violence, homelessness, LGBTQAI+ rights, and more. Although I’m just beginning my journey with the ensemble, I’m excited to contribute to an organization that is so committed to using choral music as a vehicle for advocacy, community, and justice.

I think what sets me apart is my desire to bridge classical performance with social impact. Alongside vocal development, I actively seek out projects that amplify diverse voices and stories. For me, the most meaningful performances are the ones that not only showcase beautiful music but also invite audiences to reflect, connect, and engage with important issues.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think luck has certainly played a role in my journey, but not in the sense of chance alone. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have mentors, teachers, friends, and family members who believed in me. Pursuing a career in classical music can feel like a leap of faith, and having people who consistently encouraged me to keep going has made an enormous difference.

Even when I was singing with the San Francisco Girls Chorus and imagined studying something like English or Political Science in college, I had teachers who saw potential in me and encouraged me to dream bigger. Their belief gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities I might not have considered on my own.

At the same time, I’ve learned that luck often opens a door, but it’s up to you to walk through it. Every audition, performance, and collaboration has required years of preparation, persistence, hard work, and a willingness to consistently put myself out there. I feel incredibly grateful for the people who have invested in my growth, and I hope to pay that forward by mentoring and encouraging other young artists in the future.

For any artist, finding your community is invaluable. Having people who will advocate for you, challenge you, and remind you of your potential, even during moments of self-doubt, is one of the greatest gifts you can receive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sadiehabasmezzosoprano.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shabasmezzo_/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadiehabas/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sadiemezzo721?si=j0buutPU7ne7JONY
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3RUmCAr2b6YITvM0Y3SS92
• Other: https://www.cfmusic.org/sadie-habas

Image Credits
Image credits: Brendan Sweeney, David Andrews