Maya Lahyani Opera singer (mezzo-soprano) Country: Israel

Maya Lahyani: Biography

Maya Lahyani is a young mezzo-soprano opera singer who is currently in her second season performing with the San Francisco Opera. Born in Israel, Maya moved to the United States during her childhood. After completing high school, she enrolled in Mannes College, where she continued to study music and art. She spent six years at the college and eventually earned her master's degree. Throughout her time at Mannes College, Lahyani performed in the college theater, with her most memorable roles including Kerubino in "Le nozze di Figaro ossia la folle giornata," Maria in Francis Poulenc's "Dialogues of the Carmelites," and Flora in Giuseppe Verdi's "La traviata."

Lahyani also spent some time working in Tel Aviv with the International Opera Summer Program, where she participated in several productions, including "Crucible" and "Zanetto." Shortly after, she became the winner of the New York stage of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. For her final performance, Maya sang "Scheherazade" accompanied by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.

In 2009, Lahyani was accepted into the San Francisco Opera, where she made her debut in productions of "La Fanciulla del West" and "Die Walküre," portraying supporting roles. In early 2010, Maya participated in the opera "Cyrano de Bergerac," which garnered public attention and received positive reviews from critics. As a participant in the 2009 Merola Opera Program, Lahyani performed the role of Beppe in Pietro Mascagni's famous opera "L'amico Fritz." Shortly after, she was invited to participate in a production of "Cosi fan Tutte" as part of the Seattle Opera Young Artist Program.

Throughout her career, Maya has participated in various competitions and has received numerous grants. She has been awarded grants from organizations and foundations such as the American-Israeli Cultural Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, Ronen Foundation, and Israeli Vocal Arts Institute. In 2011, she took part in the international opera competition Operalia. Out of 800 contestants, she made it to the top 40, and the final round will be held in Moscow at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre.