Maayan Licht
Maayan Licht | |
|---|---|
 Maayan Licht in solo concert in Michael Sela auditorium in Rehovot | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 20 May 1993[1] |
| Genres | Baroque opera • Classical music • Early music • contemporary opera |
| Occupation | Sopranist |
| Instrument | Vocals (soprano) |
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Website | www |
Maayan Licht (Hebrew: מַעְײַן לִיכט, born 20 May 1993) is an Israeli classical singer and sopranist. He performs in opera and concert repertoire in Europe and Israel, with a focus on Baroque and early Classical works.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Licht was born in Israel in a small country town that was also his mother's hometown near Tel Aviv.[3]
He expressed interests in making sounds starting at age 2, mimicking his family's microwave.[3] He started singing and also whistling very young, developing both skills quickly due to being hard on himself and also enjoying making sounds.[4] His vocal talent in the high soprano register was identified by a local voice teacher, Vita Gurevich, with whom he began his formal studies. He later studied Early Music and classical singing at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with singing professor Xenia Meijer, completing bachelor's and master's degrees, both awarded cum laude in 2021.[5]
During his studies he performed as a soloist in oratorio repertoire, including Handel's Messiah and Bach's Mass in B minor in Amsterdam. These engagements led to appearances with Dutch early‑music ensembles and opera projects.[6]
He currently resides in both The Hague Netherlands, and Tel Aviv, Israel.[7] He is gay and supports both Israelis and Palestinians, wanting peace in the war between the two countries.[7]
Career
[edit]
Licht's career centres on Baroque opera and sacred music, alongside Classical and early Classical roles. He has appeared at venues including the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Theater an der Wien, the Janáček Theatre in Brno and opera houses in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.[8] In 2026 Licht made his Australian debut with a four-city tour for Vladimir Fanshil's and Eleanor Lyons' series "Live at Yours".[9]
His stage roles have included Laertes in Gasparini's Amleto at Theater an der Wien, Achille in Porpora's Ifigenia in Aulide at the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival and Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at Oper Dortmund and the Janáček Theatre. He has also appeared in Stradella's San Giovanni Battista and in the premiere of Ľubica Čekovská's opera Here I Am, Orlando in Brno.[10][11]
In concert, Licht has sung soprano parts in Handel's Messiah, Handel's Theodora, Bach's Mass in B minor and the St John Passion. He has collaborated with ensembles such as the Netherlands Bach Society and Opera2Day, among other orchestras and early‑music groups.
Selected performances
[edit] | This section contains a list that has not been properly sorted. See MOS:LISTSORT for more information. (May 2026) |
| Date | Role | Name of concert / production | Venue | Location (city, country) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Laertes | Amleto (Francesco Gasparini)[12][13] | Theater an der Wien | Vienna, Austria |
| 2024 | Achille | Ifigenia in Aulide (Nicola Porpora), Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival[14][15] | Markgräfliches Opernhaus | Bayreuth, Germany |
| Sep 2025–Jan 2026 | Cherubino | Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart)[16][17][18] | Oper Dortmund | Dortmund, Germany |
| Oct–Dec 2025 | Cherubino | Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart)[19][20] | Janáček Theatre (NdB) | Brno, Czech Republic |
| 2025 | Orlando | Here I Am, Orlando (Ľubica Čekovská), world premiere[21] | Janáček Theatre (NdB) | Brno, Czech Republic |
| 2024–2025 | Soprano role | San Giovanni Battista (Alessandro Stradella), Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival[21] | Markgräfliches Opernhaus | Bayreuth, Germany |
| 2024 | Sopranista soloist | Baroque gala (incl. "Ombra mai fu") with Sexteto IBF[22] | Auditorio Alfredo Kraus | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain |
| 2024 | Sopranista soloist | Baroque gala (Handel and Vivaldi arias) with Sexteto IBF[23] | Auditorio Alfredo Kraus | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain |
| 2021–2025 | Soprano soloist | Messiah (Handel), concert performance[24] | Concertgebouw (small hall) | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 2021–2025 | Soprano soloist | Mass in B minor (Bach)[25] | Concertgebouw (small hall) | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 2023–2025 | Soprano soloist (Didymus) | Theodora (Handel), concert / semi-staged[21] | Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 2024–2025 | Featured singer | CarMEN (adaptation of Bizet's Carmen)[26][27] | Concertgebouw | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 2024–2025 | Featured singer | CarMEN (adaptation of Bizet's Carmen)[21] | Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 2024–2025 | Featured singer | CarMEN (adaptation of Bizet's Carmen)[21] | Parade Festival venues | Netherlands |
| 2024–2025 | Featured singer | Technopera (techno–opera project)[21] | Concertgebouw | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Dec 2025 | Sopranista soloist | "Soprano senza maschera" – Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour[28][21] | Michael Sela Auditorium | Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel |
| Dec 2025 | Sopranista soloist | "Soprano senza maschera" – Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour[28] | Recanati Auditorium | Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Dec 2025 | Sopranista soloist | "Soprano senza maschera" – Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour[28] | Jerusalem International YMCA | Jerusalem, Israel |
| Dec 2025 | Sopranista soloist | "Soprano senza maschera" – Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour[28] | Elma Arts Complex | Zikhron Ya'akov, Israel |
| 2020 | Soprano / ensemble | Grachtenfestival Competition with Duo Zeffiretti[29][30] | Grachtenfestival venues | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Projects and collaborations
[edit]Licht participates in staged and crossover projects that combine opera with other performance forms. He has performed in CarMEN, a queer‑themed adaptation of Bizet's Carmen created with drag performers and presented at venues including the Concertgebouw, Muziekgebouw and Dutch festivals. He is also involved in Technopera, a project that integrates electronic music and operatic singing and has appeared at Dutch concert halls and festivals.
Awards and recognition
[edit]Licht has received several international prizes and distinctions for his singing.
- Winner of the "Best Newcomer" award at the Oper! Awards 2025.[31][32]
- Recipient of the Bajazzo Sponsor Award 2025 from Theater- und Konzertfreunde Dortmund for his performance as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro at Oper Dortmund.
- Grand Prize at the Vienna International Music Competition in 2023.
- Jury and audience prizes at the Grachtenfestival Competition 2020 with his ensemble Duo Zeffiretti.
References
[edit]- ↑ "Maayan Licht was born in Israel, 20.05.1993". Facebook.
- ↑ "Maayan Licht". America-Israel Cultural Foundation. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- 1 2 Füchsel, Helgard. "30-jähriger Maayan Licht singt im Sopran: Hauprolle Xerxes am Oldenburgischen Staatstheater" (in German). Norddeutscher Rundfunk. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ Maayan Licht Interview & "Da tempeste" Whistle (Giulio Cesare, Handel) on YouTube
- ↑ "Maayan Licht" (PDF). parnassus.at.
- ↑ "Oper Awards Winners 2025" (PDF). oper-awards.com.
- 1 2 Sperber, André (23 October 2025). "Interview: Maayan Licht erzählt im #InstaView die Story hinter dem Bild". concerti.de (in German). Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Biografie Mayaan Licht". ilgustobarocco.de (in German). Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ↑ "Maayan Licht: 11–15 August 2026", liveatyours.com.au
- ↑ "The Vocal Olympics Arrive in Israel with Sopranista Maayan Licht". www.culbyt.com (in Russian). Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ↑ Maier, Jan-Hendrik (22 September 2025). "Opern-Kritik: Theater Dortmund – Le nozze di Figaro". concerti.de (in German). Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ↑ "Premiere Ambleto". Theater an der Wien.
- ↑ "Ambleto – MusikTheater an der Wien". YouTube. 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "Porpora: Ifigenia in Aulide". Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival.
- ↑ "Maayan Licht – Allontanta agnella | Ifigenia in Aulide | Porpora". YouTube. 7 February 2025.
- ↑ "Maayan Licht als Cherubino in einer Neuproduktion Le Nozze di Figaro an der Oper Dortmund".
- ↑ "Die Hochzeit des Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro)".
- ↑ "Maayan Licht's Mozart Debut at Oper Dortmund". YouTube. 30 October 2025.
- ↑ "Maayan Licht als Cherubino... Oper Dortmund und Brünn".
- ↑ "Le nozze di Figaro at Janáček Theatre". Facebook.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Maayan Licht official website, operatic portrayals section".
- ↑ "Maayan Licht – Ombra mai fu| Handel". YouTube. 12 September 2024.
- ↑ "Maayan Licht – 'Un pensiero nemico di pace' | Handel". YouTube. 3 August 2024.
- ↑ "Maayan Licht – AICF".
- ↑ "Maayan Licht – AICF".
- ↑ "Club Classique: Highlights from Carmen (reinvented)". August 2025.
- ↑ @concertgebouw. "Maayan Licht testing the acoustics for our Pride Amsterdam performance – a bold new take on Bizet's Carmen (reel)". Instagram.
- 1 2 3 4 @mayaanlicht; (14 December 2025). "Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour dates" – via Instagram.
- ↑ "Maayan Licht – AICF, awards section".
- ↑ "Duo Zeffiretti: Maayan Licht... Grachtenfestival prize".
- ↑ "Maayan Licht". Operabase. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ↑ "Maayan Licht uitgeroepen tot Oper! Award Best Newcomer". Conservatorium van Amsterdam (in Dutch). 24 February 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Maayan Licht at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
