HARRIET EYLEY

Hailed as ‘silver-toned and effortless, by turns virtuosic and exquisite’ by The Guardian, Soprano Harriet Eyley is in demand on the operatic stage and concert halls alike having made indelible impressions on audiences spanning the UK and Europe with her ‘gamine charm, diminutive size and wonderful warmth.’

This 26/27 season sees Eyley make her main stage debut at The Royal Ballet and Opera as Papagena in David McVicar’s five-star production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.

In recent seasons Eyley has performed across the continent: in Lucerne, Bern and Zürich, Switzerland as guest artist in The Four Seasons by Candlelight (RGLive) and in the Czech Republic by invitation of the Janacek Brno Festival in her role debut as Krista for Welsh National Opera’s new production of The Makropulos Affair, which was applauded with a nomination for a Southbank Sky Arts Award. Most recently, Eyley’s much anticipated return to English National Opera marked her main stage debut as Frasquita in a revival production of Calixto Bieito’s infamous Carmen, and her portrayal of Norina in James Hurley’s new production of Don Pasquale at Nevill Holt was a widely celebrated starring company debut with Opera North.

Eyley refined her artistry as a Welsh National Opera Associate Artist spanning the 2018-2020 seasons, during which time she made her role, company and UK debut as Oscar in Sir David Pountney’s Un Ballo in Maschera under maestro Carlo Rizzi. Further distinguished role debuts followed: Norina Don Pasquale, Frasquita Carmen and Barbarina Le nozze di Figaro. An eagerly awaited return to WNO in 2025 marked Eyley’s role debut as Cherubino in the same production of Tobais Richter’s Le nozze di Figaro revived by Max Hoehn.

Opera engagements for the seasons following included Oriana Amadigi for English Touring Opera, Zerlina Don Giovanni WNO and Beth Little Women as Opera Holland Park embraced the UK Premiere of the 20th Century opera adaptation by Mark Adamo. Eyley’s return to Garsington Opera in 2023 marked her role debut as Echo in Bruno Ravella’s critically acclaimed production of Ariadne auf Naxos, for which she received the Leonard Ingrams Award. In the same season, Eyley made her company debut for ENO in their Gilbert and Sullivan Walking Tour, specially curated by John Savournin.

To critical acclaim elsewhere, Eyley has performed the roles of Euridice Orpheus in the Underworld for IFOpera, Clotilde Faramondo for the London Handel Festival; Papagena Die Zauberflöte for Garsington Opera; the title role of Vixen Sharp-Ears The Cunning Little Vixen for Opera Holland Park; and Meleagro La Corona for Bampton Classical Opera. Concert engagements include Beethoven Unleashed: the 1808 Concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Messiah with the WNO Chorus and Orchestra of Wales at St. David’s Hall and with the London Philharmonic Choir and Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall, Mozart Requiem with Opus48 at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford and for Massive Mozart! with the Bristol Ensemble presented by the Bristol Beacon. On tour, Eyley has performed New Year Gala Concerts with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Return to Vienna with the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, Messiah with the Britten Sinfonia and Carols/The Four Seasons by Candlelight (RGLive). For the BBC, Eyley has performed in Lucy Worsley’s Queen Victoria’s Music, live for BBC Radio 3 InTune and as a featured soloist for HM King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

Upholding the highest levels of musicianship are at the heart of Eyley’s career and she is humbled to have been conferred an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) by her alma mater in their 2023 Honours Ceremony. Eyley is fortunate to remain under the esteemed tutelage of Lillian Watson and is an alumna of the Royal College of Music where she studied with Tim Evans-Jones, receiving an Artistic Diploma in Opera. Eyley achieved First Class BMus and MMus (DipRAM) Honours degrees from the Royal Academy of Music during which time she represented the institution in the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary and was awarded the Joyce Budd Prize. She is the grateful recipient of numerous awards to date; currently as a PhD scholar, Eyley is an RCM Studentship Holder and recipient of the Siow-Furniss Scholarship. She is thankful to all those who have supported her throughout her musical journey thus far.

September 2026