K A Y L E I G H D E C K E R
PRESS
Erika in Barber's Vanessa at Festival dei due Mondi
“American mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker‘s Erika will long be remembered for her vocal and stage performance of the opera’s true dramatic engine. Her beautiful lyric mezzo-soprano timbre adapts very effectively to Barber’s vocal writing, displaying exemplary legato and perfect breath control and sweeping melodic arcs. Decker is phenomenal in perfectly delineating Erika’s psychological evolution, from the lyricism of the famous “Must the winter come so soon” to the dramatic duets with Anatol and the Baroness, all the way to the resignation and pride of the dramatic finale. The variations in timbre and color are perfectly reflected in her acting and stage gestures, which enhance her beautiful presence on the scene”- Opera-diary, June 2026
“Extraordinary Kayleigh Decker in the role of Erika: her interpretation, excellent both vocally and scenically, returns a surprisingly modern, independent and deeply torn character. The audience gives her the warmest applause of the evening.”-OperaClick, June 2026
“Kayleigh Decker likely delivers the most intense performance of the evening: her Erika possesses a full, round, lush vocal quality, supported by a magnetic stage presence that makes every hesitation of the character palpable.”-Connessi all’Opera, June 2026
“Kayleigh Decker as Erika was excellent, a performer with a measured yet powerful stage presence and a round, well-supported vocal quality with a fluid, never broken vibrato.”- Sipario, July 2026
“Kayleigh Decker, who as young Erika performs an incredible vocal and acting performance, received the most of the applause.”- Online Merker, June 2026
"The mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker, as Erika, offered intense and convincing interpretations, both from a vocal and dramatic point of view"- Opera Actual, July 2026
“Vanessa's young niece Erika, sung by Kayleigh Decker, proved to be her equal, forming the tragic core figure of the evening with touching, lyrical clarity and an intimate interpretation, already in the famous opening aria "Must the winter come so soon”.- Klassik info, July 2026
"Lauren Fagan (Vanessa) and Kayleigh Decker (young Erika) impeccably interpret their roles, difficult and complex both purely vocally and interpretatively."- Il giornale della musica, July 2026
“More vibrant with empathy—not surprisingly, she receives the warmest applause at the end—is the character of Erika, Vanessa's niece. Kayleigh Decker portrays her with convincing vocal and acting skills. The American mezzo-soprano defines her character with perfectly balanced throbs and inflections, imposing a musical and dramatic presence that is distinctly recognizable and appreciated.” MusicPaper.it, July 2026
Zephyrus in Die grosse Stille at Hamburg State Opera
“Mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker is convincing in her trouser role as the jealous Zephyrus.” Diedeutschebuehne.de, March 2026
“Equally impressive, with her resonant depth, was the already established mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker as the deceitful Zephyrus.” Klassik-begeistert.de, March 2026
“Mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker immediately captivated the audience in the first act with her beautiful rendition of Mozart's "Dans un bois solitaire." She also impressed as Zephyrus, who killed Hyacinth, both vocally and with her stage presence.” Ioco.de, March 2026
“Kayleigh Decker delivers a compelling portrayal of her friend and Zephyrus.” Opera-online.com, April 2026
“Kayleigh Decker brought a very warm, gentle mezzo-soprano into the fold.” Seenandheard-international.com, April 2026
Handel's Messiah with The OAE and Mogens Dahl
"Next, soprano Julia Doyle and alto Kayleigh Decker, each in their respective vocal ranges, conveyed Handel's richly faceted arias, reaching a highlight in their great joint duet "He shall feed his flock" in the first part of the oratorio. Especially in the respective da capo sections of their solo arias, both Doyle and Decker offered fine and well-articulated interpretations of the rich art of ornamentation and coloratura wealth that Messiah also contains, but which does not always come to the surface as clearly and finely as it did here. Together with the English Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, who more than anyone manage to play with an expression that is both lean, transparent, and yet full-toned, it was as if we were hearing a single instrument. It was perhaps in these arias that the performance achieved some of its finest expressions from the female soloists, and especially the alto Kayleigh Decker, who is in the midst of full development of an exciting international and wide-ranging repertoire career, delivered some dramatic and deeply moving – indeed, almost whispering – expressions in her aria "He was despised and rejected of men."- POV International, December 2025
Belle in Glass' La Belle et la Bête at Atlanta Opera
“Kayleigh Decker portrayed Belle. Her sunny timbre enlivened a character who is supposed to act as a Petrarchan angel, lighting Bête’s dark, forested world. Her vocal production was superb, audible in the balcony, though it often seemed marked piano. She offered nearly weightless sopranistic float in Belle’s closing declarations of love for her human beau.”-Operawire.com, November 2025
Booking Inquiries
Natasha Worsley- Associate Director,
Vocal & Opera
+44 (0) 7870 979 794
Billie Allin- Assistant Artist Manager
+44 20 7608 9903