K A Y L E I G H D E C K E R
About
Praised for her ‘shimmering mezzo-soprano' and a voice of ‘pure vocal gold’, American mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker is quickly garnering an international reputation for her artistry and versatility in opera and on the concert platform.
In the 2024/25 season, Decker will make a series of debuts including her role debut as Cherubino in Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro at Chicago Lyric Opera, a house and role debut as Wellgunde in Wagner Das Rheingold, and a house debut as cover Cherubino in Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro at The Metropolitan Opera. On the concert platform, Decker will return to Chicago to perform Handel Messiah with The Chicago Apollo Chorus and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in Copenhagen, will sing Ethel Smyth Mass in D at Washington National Cathedral and Mahler 2 with the Cincinnati College Music. In recital, Kayleigh returns to SOKA Performing Arts Center for Mahler Ruckert Lieder and takes part in the ‘Beyond the Aria’ recital series at the Harris Theater, Chicago.
Last season Decker made a house debut for Welsh National Opera as Dorabella in a new production of Mozart Cosi fan tutte conducted by Tomáš Hanus, returned to Cincinnati Opera for staged performances of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio and covered Angelina in Rossini La Cenerentola for Boston Lyric Opera. On the concert platform Kayleigh made debuts with the San Francisco Symphony and Orchestre de Paris for Stravinsky Les Noces conducted by Esa Pekka Salonen, Mozart Requiem with the orchestra of Welsh National Opera conducted by Tomáš Hanus, Handel Messiah with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Mogens Dahl and her debut with the Grant Park Music Festival for Mahler 8. A keen recitalist, Kayleigh performed with Soka University, the Cincinnati Song Initiative and the Pacific Vocal Series.
Recent highlights have included her house and role debut as Dorabella in Mozart Cosi fan Tutte for Dallas Opera, Ruggiero Handel Alcina with Les Violons du Roy conducted by Jonathan Cohen, her role debut as Isolier in Rossini Le Comte Ory for Lyric Opera Chicago, described as “The finest overall performance of the afternoon” by the Chicago Classical Review, as well returning to Cincinnati Opera in her role debut as Alisa in Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor and Kate Pinkerton in Puccini Madama Butterfly.
As an ensemble member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Kayleigh’s roles included her debut as Second Cretan Woman in Mozart Idomeneo, Kate Pinkerton in Puccini Madama Butterfly and a number of notable cover roles, including Le Prince Charmant in Massenet Cendrillon, Rosina in Rossini The Barber of Seville, Laura in Verdi Luisa Miller and Donna Elvira in Mozart Don Giovanni conducted by James Gaffigan.
A passionate song interpreter, she was named one of Caramoor’s 2018 Schwab Vocal Rising Stars and was a participant in the inaugural season of Renée Fleming’s SongStudio at Carnegie Hall. She has given recitals produced by the Cincinnati Song Initiative, Pelican Hill recital series and recently performed a solo recital at Carnegie Hall and the Chicago Cultural Center.
In 2019, Kayleigh was the recipient of three prestigious scholarships: the Luminarts Fellowship, first place in the Musicians Club of Women Scholarship Competition, and a Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation. Further accolades include first place in the Three Arts Scholarship Fund Competition and The Macdowell Society Scholarship Award in Cincinnati, second place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions-Great Lakes Region, first place in the CCM Corbett Competition, and the Encouragement award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions-Cincinnati District in 2016.
Kayleigh was a young artist at the Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Utah Festival Opera. Other training programs include the Houston Grand Opera Young Artists Vocal Academy, and Oberlin in Italy. She graduated with honors from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. She also participated in the first of Joyce DiDonato’s Masterclass Series at Carnegie Hall, streamed live on Medici.tv. Kayleigh began her musical studies at the age of four in Suzuki violin lessons, and continued her instrumental studies later with the bassoon. She currently resides in California.
"For their recital...the elegant mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker and the exciting pianist Madeline Slettedahl conceived a program...with a political edge that created just the right amount of frisson...She has that essential quality for a song recitalist: the ability to create miniature worlds through her voice, expressive face and judiciously employed hand movements. Most importantly, her voice is equal to the expectations that her innate glamour and poise instantly raise. In other words, as a friend put it after the recital, she’s the whole package."
Rick Peridian, Seen and Heard International
Booking Inquiries
Natasha Worsley- Associate Director,
Vocal & Opera
+44 (0) 7870 979 794
Billie Allin- Assistant Artist Manager
+44 20 7608 9903