The Luck of Shared Trajectories
Boston-based singer, librettist, stage manager, and producer, Sophie Carpenter, shares that building steady, authentic relationships fosters meaningful creative partnerships and opportunities.
By Betsy Podsiadlo | 3/1/24
After working through the hurdles of adding English courses to a busy schedule as a music student at Carnegie Mellon University, Sophie Carpenter found her writing partner for her first full-length opera entirely by chance. Sophie Carpenter is a librettist, stage manager, producer, and soprano based in Boston. In this month’s edition of Art Grove Newsletter, we explore how luck, planning, and diligence led to the creation of Sophie’s first opera and helped her make a splash in the Boston theater and arts scene.
In 2018, Sophie sat down in Chorus next to composer, Shambhavi Mishra. As Sophie expressed her interest in writing and Shambhavi expressed her interest in composing a partnership was born. From this collaboration came their first opera as a writing team, Angels of the House.
“Being in the right place at the right time…sitting next to one another was entirely chance. It changed my whole writing trajectory,” says Sophie.
As COVID-19 canceled countless productions and premieres, Sophie and her team pushed through, creating a video production premiere for Angels of the House.
“I was very lucky to find people who were excited about doing the work just because they had an opportunity to perform and work with us,” says Sophie. “They were happy to help us on the journey.”
After graduating, Sophie made her way to Massachusetts to pursue her Master’s at the Longy School of Music. As she entered into the professional world in Boston, Sophie began to reckon with the notion that the most common parallel career for singers is teaching. She knew that teaching wasn’t her passion, so she asked herself, “What is another skill set I can capitalize on that will pair nicely with my singing career and still allow me to stay involved in the arts?”
The answer was clear to her: becoming involved with the production side of the performance world through stage management. This wasn’t an easy maneuver for Sophie, because the music and theatre scene in Boston felt like a very tight-knit community that proved difficult to get into.
“It took me almost a year to get the first gig, and it was just a matter of continuously emailing, reaching out, and speaking about my interests,” says Sophie.
Sending cold emails and showing up to performances in the scene she wanted to be a part of eventually led Sophie to a stage management gig with the Boston New Works Festival through Moonbox Productions.
“It was the best opener for me because it encompassed everything I want to do as an artist,” says Sophie.
While she was working in a production capacity, she was a part of the community of new works development and creation. This meant working with performers and a creative team that felt very in line with her own work as a singer and librettist. Sophie found a parallel career that tied hand in hand with her artistic aspirations while still allowing her to have consistent work.
After Sophie’s engagement as a stage manager with Moonbox, the ball had started to roll. Her hard work in planting the seeds and openly sharing her interests began to bear fruit as she received emails from other companies and productions looking to engage someone with her demonstrated skills and values.
“I think relationships in any industry are key. As you cultivate them they grow, and you get more opportunities and more people that are excited to work with you,” says Sophie.
Sophie’s career thus far has been guided by her passion for deep connections and her true care for the artists she works with. Using her values to her advantage and having the courage to share her ambitions and interests with her community, Sophie is living proof that art-making is a team sport.
To keep up with Sophie Carpenter, visit any of the links below!
Instagram: @sophiecarp_ (private but will accept new followers)
Tiktok: @sophiecarp
Angels of the House Album Crowdfunding: HERE
Personal Website: HERE