Sarita Cannon

Born and raised in San Francisco, Sarita Cannon began her musical journey at age ten when she started singing with the San Francisco Girls Chorus. During her eight years with the Girls Chorus, she sang in two productions with the San Francisco Opera and toured to Shanghai. Sarita continued performing while earning her A.B. in Literature at Harvard, where favorite roles included Susanna (Marriage of Figaro), Antonia (Tales of Hoffmann), and Belinda (Dido and Aeneas). Since returning to the Bay Area, she has sung with several groups, including Lamplighters Music Theater, Ray of Light Theatre, Oakland Opera Theater, Golden Gate Opera, and San Francisco Cabaret Opera. An avid fan of new music, Sarita has performed works by Mark Alburger, Mary Watkins, Alden Jenks, Robert Denham, and David Ahlstrom. She recently performed the title role in the musically improvised opera John Brown’s Truth with Mimesis Productions. Sarita has also participated in several training programs, including Blanche Thebom’s Opera Arts Training Program, Bel Canto Northwest Vocal Institute, San Francisco Early Music Society Baroque Workshop, and Emerald City Opera Artist Institute. She currently studies voice with Victoria Rapanan. In addition to her musical pursuits, Sarita is assistant professor of English at San Francisco State University and holds a Ph.D. in English from UC Berkeley.