Praised for her “infectious enthusiasm” and “charm” on the stage (BoorAboutTown Toronto), Brenna McFarland is a soprano hailing from the Washington, D.C metropolitan area. She is a recent graduate of the Schulich School of Music of McGill University with a Masters of Music in Voice and Opera, studying under the tutelage of Dominique Labelle. She is currently pursuing a Professional Studies Certificate at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She is a student of Dr. Rebecca Folsom.

Some recent roles include Margaret Johnson in Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza (Opera McGill), Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni (International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia), Clorinda in Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Opera McGill), Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (Winter Harbor Music Festival), and First Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Bethesda Summer Music Festival).

This summer, Brenna has the pleasure of being a Portfolio Artist Intern at Toronto-based opera company Opera 5, performing Various Roles in William Finn’s Elegies and covering the role of Big Sister in the world premiere of Ryan Trew and Rachel Krehm’s two-woman opera Come Closer.

Some awards Brenna has received include Top Five Finalist in the 2024 Classical Singer Music Competition, First Place in the NATS Musical Theater regionals division, and Third Place in Hal Leonard’s National Art Song Competition. She is a recipient of McGill Univerity’s 2024 Austrian Society Scholarship as well as the 2024 Graduate Mobility Award.

Brenna is a graduate of James Madison University with her Bachelors in Music in Vocal Performance, studying under Kevin McMillan and Brenda Witmer. Her JMU opera role credits include Sister Catherine in Dead Man Walking and Mabel cover in Pirates of Penzance.

Demonstrating her versatility across genres, she is often seen gigging around the D.C. area anywhere from jazz lounges to Disney princess parties.