Donna Anna was sung by the outstanding soprano, Heather McConnell, whose mature, dramatic voice soared passionately and exquisitely throughout.

Known for her ability to "command a stage," soprano Heather McConnell Lulofs is a dynamic artist based in Philadelphia. In the 2026-2027 season, Heather will return to Sarasota Opera as a Studio Artist, covering Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos and Kostelnička in Jenůfa. In the 2025-2026 season, she sang Alice 3 in the Philadelphia premiere of Melissa Dunphy's Alice Tierney, and she was named a semi-finalist in the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition. Heather also sang selections from Mefistofele and  Idomeneo in the Rosenbach Museum and Library's exclusive Madwomen in the Attic event, as well as performing in concerts with Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion and A Novel Idea on Passyunk. 

As an Apprentice Artist at Sarasota Opera, Heather covered Frasquita in Carmen, performed scenes from La Gioconda (Gioconda), Un giorno di regno (La Marchesa), and Faust (Marguerite), and added the title role in Luisa Miller to her repertoire. In 2023, she was an Emerging Artist at the Seagle Festival, appearing as Dying Juana in With Blood, With Ink and Fruma Sarah in Fiddler on the Roof. Other roles include the title role in Suor Angelica, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Giulietta in Les contes d'Hoffmann, Nella in Gianni Schicchi, Nedda in Pagliacci, Elle in La voix humaine, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, and Sa femme in Le pauvre matelot. 

A versatile performer, Heather is passionate about opera outreach and exploring the connections between opera and other arts. She served as a co-manager of Opera on Tap Philadelphia for three years, and she can still be seen performing with the organization in unconventional venues throughout the greater Philadelphia area. Heather has also appeared in a wide variety of theatre, including Into the Woods (Cinderella), In the Next Room… (Catherine Givings), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Marguerite), Kiss Me, Kate (Lilli Vanessi/Kate), and How to Succeed… (Miss Jones). 

Heather has received awards from the Presser Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, National Association of Teachers of Singing, Boyer College of Music and Dance, Sunderman Conservatory, and Chester County Choral Society. In addition to her active performance career, she maintains an online voice studio. Heather holds a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Temple University and a Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, from Gettysburg College.