DAPHNE BUAN

Daphne Buan, soprano, is a passionate storyteller with a dedication to sharing the stories of yesterday and today with audiences around the world. She is currently 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. 

 

Other opera credits include Gianni Schicci (Lauretta), Cosi Fan Tutte (Despina), Lilacs and Lillies (Aneta), Die Zauberflöte (Pamina), and For Life (Katy). Buan had 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). 

 

Buan has also had the fortune of winning many accolades through her participation in both local and national competitions. She most recently won second places in the University Division of Classical Singer’s 2025 Vocal Competition. 

 

Later this summer, Buan will appear as Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel at Queens Summer Vocal Institute.