Are you looking for an aria composed in more recent years? Perhaps you have an upcoming audition with a modern aria requirement, you're planning a recital of contemporary works, or you're simply looking to diversify your repertoire. Modern arias can be extremely difficult to find for a variety of reasons. A lot of recently composed operas don't have arias you can excerpt and don't have many recordings or publications. Even if you find an aria that you love and can find the music for, how do you know it will suit your personal instrument? To help with your search, here is a survey of arias written after the year 1950, ensuring they are "thoroughly modern!" This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does compile a few arias varied by composer and musical style. 

Composer: Igor Stravinsky 

Opera: The Rake's Progress 

Character: Anne Trulove 

What's happening: Anne's beloved, Tom Rakewell, has deserted her to pursue his fortune and the delights of London. After debating between leaving her home and father or to go after Tom, she decides to make the journey to Tom with the hopes that her love will not be betrayed. 

What the aria showcases: The first part is more lyrical and sentimental while the second part is faster, shows off coloratura skills, and ends on a sustained high C. The recitative in the beginning and middle display sensitive acting and declamation skills. The cabaletta ("I Go to Him") can stand alone as an audition piece. 

Composer: Douglas Moore

Opera: The Ballad of Baby Doe

Character: Elizabeth "Baby" Doe 

What's happening: Baby Doe is at her wedding party when the guests launch into a debate about the silver standard. Baby Doe wishes to contribute her own view on the matter, praising silver for reasons completely unrelated to monetary worth. 

What the aria showcases: The singer should have agility in the higher register and a sturdy middle voice.

Baby Doe has several great arias to choose from! I also recommend "The Willow Song" and the Letter Aria ("Dearest Mama"). 

Composer: Samuel Barber  

Opera: Antony and Cleopatra 

Character: Cleopatra 

What's happening: This is Cleopatra's death scene. The Roman ruler, Marc Antony, has killed himself because he believed his lover, the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, to be dead. Cleopatra chooses to join Antony in death by the bite of a snake.

What the aria showcases: "Give Me My Robe, Put On My Crown" serves as a good display for a large, powerful voice, featuring soaring high notes and long, lyric lines. 

Composer: John Adams 

Opera: Nixon in China 

Character: Pat Nixon 

What's happening: The First Lady is on tour of the People's Republic of China in 1972. At the Summer Palace, she muses on middle-class American life and imagines a more peaceful future. 

What the aria showcases: Adams demands good navigation of range jumps, excellent declamation, and nuanced acting skills from the soprano performing this aria. The minimalistic style of composition makes the latter two qualities especially important to prevent monotony.

Composer: John Corigliano 

Opera: The Ghosts of Versailles 

Character: Marie Antoinette 

What's happening: The ghost of the playwright, Beaumarchais, has been trying to change history and save Marie Antionette from the guillotine because he is in love with her. Marie Antoinette realizes at the end of the opera that she had to die, and by letting go of her pursuit to return to life, she is able to return Beaumarchais' love. 

What the aria showcases: This aria requires dramatic singing and acting throughout the entire vocal range. There are a few tender moments in the aria, but the role of Marie Antoinette requires a very powerful voice.

Composer: Daniel Catán 

Opera: Florencia en el Amazonas 

Character: Florencia 

What's happening: Florencia, an operatic soprano, is travelling on the steamboat El Dorado to Manaus to sing and hopefully be reunited with her lover, Cristóbal, a butterfly hunter. Upon arrival, a cholera outbreak keeps her quarantined on the boat, but Florencia is magically transformed into a butterfly and goes off to be with Cristóbal. 

What the aria showcases: Beautiful lyricism in the middle and high ranges are the defining elements of this aria. It also presents an opportunity to demonstrate Spanish language and diction skills.

Composer: Thomas Adès

Opera: The Tempest 

Character: Ariel 

What's happening: Ariel, a spirit serving the sorcerer Prospero on a magical island, is asked to call on Ferdinand, the shipwrecked son of the Duke of Naples. Ariel performs "Five Fathoms Deep" to lead Ferdinand to Prospero.

What the aria showcases: "Five Fathoms Deep" is an impressive feat of stratospheric singing, which should sound ethereal and effortless. The aria's compositional demands indicate that Ariel is not human, but a supernatural, airy spirit.

Hopefully, one of these arias resonates with you as a singing artist or has helped you narrow down which modern composers and styles you like best. There is a ton of fantastic repertoire for sopranos not listed here, so conduct your own research and exploration! Try out a few selections before settling on your favorite aria; the important thing is that you love what you are singing!