Praised by the New York Times as “impressive” and by New York Arts for her “rich, glowing” tone, Japanese American mezzo-soprano Sahoko Sato Timpone has performed in opera, concert, and recital settings across North America, Europe, and Asia. Her recent engagements include Verdi’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall, Der Fliegende Holländer with Opera Maine, and Mahler symphonies with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and Florida State University Symphony. She also recently appeared in Belgium with the Terra Nova Collective.
Timpone has appeared with orchestras including the Seattle Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and the Sapporo Symphony, and has sung major works such as Mozart’s Requiem and Verdi’s Requiem with choral and symphonic organizations across the US.
An advocate for new music and art song, she has presented recitals in venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Her international honors include first prize in the Miguel Zanetti International Spanish Song Competition, and she has premiered new works, including Eighth Hour of Amduat by David Soldier. Her debut solo album, Songs of Japonisme, was released by Sheva Collection/Naxos.
Timpone serves as associate professor of voice at the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music (CCM) and formerly served on the voice faculty at Florida State University from 2017 to 2025. Additionally, she has taught at summer programs including the Sicily International Music Festival, Tokyo International Vocal Arts Academy, and Lunigiana International Music Festival. In 2024–25, she was a visiting scholar at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, where she focused on Belgian art song. She has presented lectures and master classes throughout the US, Europe, and Asia, and serves on the board of directors of Joy in Singing.
She earned her bachelor’s in voice performance and a master’s in vocal pedagogy from New England Conservatory, along with a master’s from the Manhattan School of Music and a DMA from Rutgers University.
