Ellie Dehn
American soprano Ellie Dehn has been praised by critics as “a revelation” (Chicago Sun-Times), acclaimed for her “great stage presence and a voice combining metallic clarity and sensual richness” (Wall Street Journal).
In the 2020-2021 season, Ms. Dehn was to return to the roster of the Metropolitan Opera to cover the title role in Rusalka, as well as Micaëla in Carmen, Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and Musetta in La bohème. She returns to Minnesota Opera as Lady Billows in Albert Herring, while on the concert stage, she sings Elgar’s cantata scenes from The Saga of King Olaf at the Grant Park Music Festival.
In the 2019-2020 season, Ms. Dehn made house debuts at Michigan Opera Theater in her acclaimed portrayal of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and at Arizona Opera as Mimì in La bohème. She also joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera, covering the role of Amelia Grimaldi in Simon Boccanegra, and debuted with Boston’s Odyssey Opera for concert performances as Catherine of Aragon in Saint-Saëns’ Henry VIII, a role she previously recorded for commercial release with the American Symphony Orchestra. Concert appearances included debuts with the St. Louis Symphony for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 under the baton of Music Director Stéphane Denève, the San Antonio Symphony for Mozart’s Requiem, and the North Carolina Symphony for Handel’s Messiah.
In the 2018-2019 season, Ms. Dehn made an important role debut as the title role in Strauss’ Arabella at San Francisco Opera, and returned to Opera Colorado as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro. On the concert stage, she joined the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus as the soprano soloist in Kristopher Jon Anthony’s Requiem, When We No Longer Touch, commemorating the organization’s 40th anniversary, performed Mozart’s Davide Penitente with San Diego’s Mainly Mozart, and sang Mimì in La bohème with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Recent career highlights include the title role in Massenet’s Manon at San Francisco Opera and a return to Grand Théâtre de Genève as the Countess in Figaro Gets a Divorce, a modern addition to the Figaro trilogy composed by Elena Langer. She made her company debut at Royal Opera House Covent Garden as the Countess in Sir David McVicar’s production of Le nozze di Figaro, conducted by Ivor Bolton, which was broadcast live to movie theaters around the world; her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mrs. Naidoo in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha, followed by appearances as Musetta in Franco Zerferelli’s iconic production of La bohème and as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni; her Teatro alla Scala debut as Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann and subsequent return as Musetta; multiple appearances at San Francisco Opera including all three Mozart/Da Ponte heroines: the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, as well as Musetta in La bohème and Micaëla in Calixto Bieto’s production of Carmen; her debut at Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera as Helena in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and return as Musetta; and her Houston Grand Opera debut as Mozart’s Countess.
Other successes include her role debut as the title role in Rusalka at Lyric Opera of Kansas City; her role debut of Alice Ford in Falstaff at San Diego Opera; Donna Anna with the Ravinia Festival, the Bayerische Staatsoper, Opera Colorado, Opera Pacific, PORT Opera, and San Diego Opera; Donna Elvira with the Spoleto Festival USA and at Teatro Massimo in Palermo; Fiordiligi at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari; and her role debut in the title role of Weber’s Euryanthe at the Bard SummerScape Festival with the American Symphony Orchestra.
Her debuts with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the Teatro Comunale di Bologna as Anne Truelove in new productions of The Rake’s Progress were both under the baton of Daniele Gatti. Her numerous company debuts include performances as Mimì at both San Diego Opera and Minnesota Opera, Rosaura in the world premiere of Lewis Spratlan’s Life is a Dream at Santa Fe Opera, Agathe in Der Freischütz at Le Grand Théâtre de Genève, Madame Cortese in Il viaggio a Reims at Bilbao Opera, and Freia in Das Rheingold at Los Angeles Opera. Ms. Dehn received critical acclaim for her performances as Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at Minnesota Opera and Cressida in William Walton’s Troilus and Cressida at Opera Theatre of St. Louis.
Highlights of orchestral engagements include performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jaap Van Zweden to conclude the Music Director’s farewell season with the company. At Carnegie Hall, she has performed Mozart’s Mass in C minor, Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Haydn’s Harmoniemesse. At Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, she joined the acclaimed International Contemporary Ensemble for the New York premiere of Messiaen’s Chants de terre et de ciel at the Mostly Mozart Festival, joined Eve Queler and the Opera Orchestra of New York as Inez in Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine, and debuted the role of Avis in Dame Ethel Smyth’s The Wreckers with the American Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Dehn has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra on several occasions, most recently as the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah and Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3. She has been a featured soloist with the Cincinnati May Festival, performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Haydn’s The Seasons, Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8. Additionally, she has performed Hadyn’s Creation with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at St. Thomas Church in New York, Handel’s Messiah with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Florida Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra.
Honors and awards include first place in the Gerda Lissner Competition, top prizes in the Licia Albanese and Elardo International Opera Competitions, and a Grand Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Ms. Dehn was also a winner of the George London Competition and was subsequently chosen to do a joint recital with the legendary bass-baritone Samuel Ramey at the Morgan Library in New York City.
Her discography includes Ravel: Intimate Masterpieces, released on the Oberlin Music label and distributed by Naxos America, as well as live recordings of Saint-Saëns’ Henry VIII and Weber’s Euryanthe at the Bard SummerScape Festival.
