DAPHNE BUAN
SOPRANO
Daphne Buan, soprano, is a Wisconsin native currently based in New York. A passionate storyteller, Buan has been known for her dedication to sharing the stories of yesterday and today with audiences around the world. At present she is pursuing her Master's degree in Vocal Performance at Bard College Conservatory of Music, studying under Lorraine Nubar.
An Eastman School of Music alumna, Buan graduated in the spring of 2025 after studying under Kathryn Cowdrick. Her credits with Eastman Opera Theatre included; Ainadamar (Nuria), Dido and Aeneas (Belinda), We’ve Got Our Eye On You (Enyo cover), and Alcina (Morgana cover). Her concert work at Eastman was diverse, including many performances with Eastman’s early music ensemble Collegium Musicum, Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children, Handel’s The Mesiah, and Vivaldi’s Gloria. Buan concluded her time at Eastman performing a recital titled “Sonnets” which captured the spirit of transition and change through featured works by Debussy, Handel, Heggie, Hoiby, Shostakovich, Sondheim, and Strauss.
Buan's other opera credits include Gianni Schicci (Lauretta) and Die Zauberflote (Pamina) at Queens Summer Vocal Institute, as well as Cosi Fan Tutte (Despina) and Lilacs and Lillies (Aneta) at Vienna Summer Music Festival and For Life (Katy) with Baldwin Wallace Vocal Performance. Buan has also had the pleasure of performing in many scenes programs showcasing operas such as Les Contes d’Hoffman (Guilietta), Die Zauberflöte (Pamina) La Serva Padrona (Serpina), Il Matrimonio Segreto (Carolina) Hänsel und Gretel (Gretel), and Le Nozze di Figaro (Susanna).
In addition to her participation in opera and concert work, Buan has also had the fortune of winning many accolades through her participation in local and national competitions. She most recently won second places in the University Division of Classical Singer’s 2025 Vocal Competition.
This August, Buan will appear at Queen Summer Vocal Institute in a masterclass led by renowned composer, Tom Cipullo, the Opera Division Showcase, and as Gretel in Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel.
