SAGA duo

a contemporary classical music ensemble

We are two sopranos in Berlin pushing our voices to the limit, discovering new sounds, performing new works, and making our own way through the world of contemporary classical music.

Photo credit: www.elzaloginova.com

Meet SAGA duo

SAGA Duo is a vocal ensemble of two sopranos — an uncommon and exciting pairing that brings a unique blend of brilliance and clarity to contemporary music. Formed in April 2024 during the IDEA Masterclass with Alda Caiello in Milan, SAGA duo emerged from a shared passion for pushing the boundaries of classical singing and exploring new vocal techniques.

Since then, we’ve been on a journey of continuous artistic growth. In July 2024, we joined the ARCO Masterclass with Donatienne Michel-Dansac in Salzburg, diving deeper into our duo repertoire. In February 2025, we traveled to Graz for the impuls Festival, where we took part in a Masterclass with Sarah Maria Sun, performed concerts, and further developed our improvisational work as a duo. Most recently, we took part in the Cage Award 2025 and attended the John Cage Workshop, working on improvisation, performance, and technique with Sarah Maria Sun and Christoph Ogiermann.

From extended techniques to spontaneous creation, we are constantly seeking new ways to expand the expressive potential of two high voices — an ensemble format as rare as it is resonant.

Photo credit: John Cage Foundation

Photo credit: Staatstheater Kassel

Lisa Newill-Smith is a dramatic coloratura soprano who specializes in contemporary music. She has a passion for exploring works by women and non-gender-conforming composers. Through her blog, Lisa has helped singers and instrumentalists find contemporary and historic works by women for upcoming concerts.

Lisa is at home improvising with her voice and body, singing opera and lieder, and working with composers to create new works and discover exciting new vocal sounds.

Lisa Newill-Smith, soprano

Olga Siemieńczuk, soprano

Photo credit: Janine Escher

Learn more

Olga Siemienczuk is a Berlin-based coloratura soprano, improviser, and educator with a wide vocal range spanning nearly four octaves, reaching as high as C7. With a strong foundation in classical technique and an exploratory approach to sound, Olga moves fluidly between opera, contemporary music, and experimental vocal performance. She is actively engaged in researching the expressive possibilities of the human voice and leads workshops in atonal improvisation.