Biography

Stefanie Margaret Tranchida is a lyric soprano, director, educator, and arts leader whose work brings together classical voice, opera, musical theatre, choral music, and community-centered performance. Originally from metro Detroit and now based in Rochester, Minnesota, Tranchida has built a multifaceted career as a performer and teacher, with experience spanning opera, oratorio, musical theatre, recital work, and arts administration. Known for her warm stage presence and rich, expressive soprano voice, she is especially drawn to performances that make classical music feel immediate, theatrical, and accessible to a wide range of audiences.

As a soprano, Tranchida’s performance credits include Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with Hometown Opera Company, Nicola in Kinky Boots with Calliope Theatre Company, and Eamon/Girl understudy in Once. Her concert and oratorio work includes soprano solo appearances in Handel’s Messiah, Rutter’s Requiem, Randall Thompson’s The Peaceable Kingdom, and Rochester Pops Orchestra’s Journey to Ireland. She has performed with organizations including the Rochester Pops Orchestra, Rochester Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Symphony Chorale, and Austin MN Symphony Orchestra, bringing versatility to repertoire that ranges from opera and art song to musical theatre, folk, jazz, and sacred works.

Tranchida is the Artistic Director of Hometown Opera Company, a Rochester-based nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to professional opera in Southeast Minnesota. In this role, she has helped shape the company’s artistic vision, community partnerships, educational programming, and fully staged productions. Her work with Hometown Opera Company includes producing, directing, performing, coordinating artists and production teams, developing student opportunities, and helping bring opera into unexpected community spaces. Recent company projects include Gianni Schicchi, New Media Opera Scenes, and the Student Apprentice Program, which gives young singers the opportunity to study with professional artists and participate in fully staged opera productions.

In addition to her work with Hometown Opera Company, Tranchida is an active vocal director, choir director, and teaching artist. She serves as Adjunct Professor of Voice at Luther College and Adjunct Professor of Voice and Choir Director at Rochester Community and Technical College, where she works with singers in both individual and ensemble settings. She has also served as Vocal Director for Rochester Civic Theatre productions including Newsies, Anastasia, and Frozen, working with performers of varied ages and experience levels to build healthy vocal technique, strong ensemble singing, and confident theatrical storytelling. Her teaching emphasizes individualized instruction, musical curiosity, expressive communication, and a supportive but high-expectation learning environment. She is especially passionate about helping students connect technical vocal growth with artistry, language, character, and performance practice.

Tranchida earned her Master’s Degree in Music Education from Conservatorio di Musica G. Tartini in Trieste, Italy, where she studied voice and choral conducting with Lorenzo Regazzo and Paoletta Morrocu. Her additional teachers and coaches include Carla Thelen Hanson, Pat Anderson, Fiorenza Badila Costantini, and Joseph Baunoch, and she continues her vocal coaching work with Lara Bolton and Eric McEnaney. Her international training and professional experience continue to inform her work as a singer, director, and educator, particularly in her commitment to expressive singing, collaborative music-making, and building meaningful artistic experiences for both performers and audiences.