Brenda Rae Steps In on Short Notice to Lead Opera Philadelphias Opening Night of Mozarts Mitridate

Brenda Rae, a 44‑year‑old American soprano, flew in from Minneapolis to Philadelphia on September 9, 2026, to replace Lauren Snouffer as the lead soprano in Opera Philadelphia’s season‑opening production of Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto. The role, Aspasia, was performed by Rae in a three‑performance run that ended on September 13.

The decision came after Opera Philadelphia had no cover singers and no time to secure a U.S. visa for a European replacement. According to the company’s director of casting and artistic administration, Michael Eberhard, the call to Rae arrived Thursday morning. She had a vacation scheduled between the July 18 world premiere of Jake Heggie’s The Judgment of Paris at Festival Napa Valley and the September 21 rehearsals for her role debut in Richard Strauss’s Salome at Seattle Opera. Rae had previously performed Aspasia with Boston Lyric Opera in September 2024 and had sung Lucia di Lammermoor in Vienna in 2012.

Rae’s travel was disrupted by a flight cancellation, forcing her to change planes in Minneapolis after an initial connection in Detroit. She arrived in Philadelphia just in time for Saturday night’s orchestra dress rehearsal. During the week she completed costume and wig fittings, rehearsed with conductor Corrado Rovaris for two hours, and spent four hours with director Emma Griffin and assistant Colter Schoenfish. Tuesday’s rehearsal with Grant Loehnig focused on recitative that differed from the version she performed in Boston.

The company arranged housing for Rae at the ROOST Midtown hotel near the Academy of Music and arranged tofu delivery. She had only a suitcase with three changes of clothing and had to do laundry during the week. Rae brought her score with her, and she had to decide quickly whether to accept the role while also spending Friday with her father in Appleton, Wisconsin, her first home visit since her mother’s death last spring.

If Rae had declined, the company might have cut the character’s four arias and one duet, leaving only Aspasia’s recitative. General director Anthony Roth Costanzo said the situation was “scary” but that the company wanted to ensure everyone was doing what was best for them.

The opening night, held Wednesday at the Academy of Music, saw Rae perform Aspasia alongside tenor Lawrence Brownlee as Mitridate and countertenor Costanzo as Farnace. The audience applauded during curtain calls, and Brownlee thanked her for saving the show.

The production ran through September 13 with three performances. Rae’s last‑minute replacement allowed Opera Philadelphia to proceed without cutting the role, demonstrating the operational challenges opera companies face when unexpected cast changes occur.