Sophia Pelekasis is a Greek-American mezzo-soprano and actress who has a burning passion for making art into a universal and empowering language. Currently, Ms. Pelekasis is a first year master’s student in Vocal Arts at The Juilliard School where she also completed her undergraduate studies under the tutelage of Darrell Babidge. Sophia is proud to have been a recipient of the Toulmin Fellowship covering the full tuition of her studies at Juilliard.

As Sophia embarks on her first year of master’s she is excited to cover the role of Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel. She recently performed a set of musical theater pieces at the Juilliard Fall Festival for the opening of the Juilliard Station. Later this year, she will perform with Juilliard 415 showcasing musical works before 1800, participating in a musical set showcasing her Hellenic Heritage for the Prometheus Foundation, and as a soloist in a Liederabend curated by Alisdair Hogarth. Sophia recently was named a District Winner in the Laffont Competition hosted by the Metropolitan Opera for the Capitol District and will compete in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals in February 2026.

Sophia began the 2025 season with a performance at the Harvard Club of New York, showcasing a heartfelt selection of Greek art songs that celebrate her heritage. Additionally, in the spring of 2025 Ms. Pelekasis performed in a recital featuring composer Tom Cipullo’s work at the Juilliard School, the Greek-Heritage Day Parade in Philadelphia, at the American Hellenic Institute in Washington DC, and conducting her Graduation Recital at the Juilliard School. Sophia was featured as a soloist during the Juilliard Commencement Performance honoring world-renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel during her Juilliard graduation. In the summer of 2025, Sophia is thrilled to be a participant in the Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artist Vocal Academy (YAVA).

In the 2023/24 season, Ms. Pelekasis made her role debut as Marcelina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with Juilliard Opera. Additionally, Pelekasis performed at the invitation of the Harvard Club of New York to honor Clive Davis on his 92nd birthday. Sophia was the national anthem singer for the Phillies Baseball Team’s Hellenic night at the invitation of the American Hellenic Institute and for the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation Gala. She also performed with Juilliard 415 for their readthrough of Handel’s Messiah. 

In the 2022/23 season, Pelekasis performed a recital honoring Maria Callas’s 100th Birthday at the Kaufman Music Center at the invitation of the Hellenic-American Cultural Foundation. Sophia had the ability to return to her homeland and perform as a soloist at the Theocharakis Foundation for their annual Christmas concert in Athens, Greece.

Ms. Pelekasis has also performed as a soloist at venues for various Hellenic Events such as The US Capitol, The National Institute of Peace for the OXI Day Foundation, The Greek Embassy in Washington DC, The American Embassy in Greece, and for the AHEPA and Daughters of Penelope organizations.

Her repertoire extends across opera, musical theatre, and original works. Sophia has also performed in roles such as Ma Moss in Copland’s The TenderLand and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus at The Catholic University of America. Pelekasis also performed in roles such as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia, and Cinderella in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella with Edison Theatre Company.