Reilly Nelson

Soprano

Current Shows:

Soprano Reilly Nelson, hailed as “a revelation” by Opera News, brings her “distinctly warm and burnished” sound to stages across North America and Europe, captivating audiences with her deep commitment to artistry, fueled by an intuitively honest and compelling dramatic sensibility. Originally from Northern Ontario, Reilly’s profound connection to her roots informs her passionate approach to music-making, where authenticity and sincerity are paramount.

This fall, Reilly makes her Canadian debut as Annio in La Clemenza di Tito with Pacific Opera Victoria and headlines two concerts with Toronto’s avant-garde chamber music group, The Happenstancers. In January, she will join Tapestry Opera in Toronto, participating in their prestigious new works program, Lib Labs.

Her impressive career includes performances with major symphony orchestras and opera companies in the USA, Canada, and abroad, such as the Rochester Philharmonic, Reno Philharmonic, Phoenix Symphony, Cincinnati Opera, Tiroler Festspiele Erl, and the Glimmerglass Festival, where she portrayed Gianna in the world premiere of “Tenor Overboard” to significant acclaim. Reilly is an alumna of Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan’s Equilibrium Young Artists program, and has honed her craft through Young Artist programs with Cincinnati Opera, Kentucky Opera, Tanglewood Music Center, and Glimmerglass.

In 2023, Reilly secured second place in the Toronto Mozart Vocal Competition and was selected as one of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques for the 2023-24 season. A specialist in the works of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, she won the 2018 Lotte Lenya Competition and achieved district victory in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions.

Reilly holds a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music and advanced degrees in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Cincinnati, where she earned both a Master’s and a Doctorate. She is currently based in Toronto, where she continues to make her mark on the new music and operatic scene

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