Maayan Licht

Maayan Licht
Maayan Licht in solo concert in Michael Sela auditorium in Rehovot
Background information
Born (1993-05-20) 20 May 1993[1]
GenresBaroque operaClassical musicEarly music • contemporary opera
OccupationSinger • Sopranista
InstrumentVocals (soprano)
Years active2021–present
Websitewww.maayanlicht.com

Maayan Licht (Hebrew: מַעְײַן לִיכט) 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

Licht was born in Israel. His vocal talent in the high soprano register was identified by the Israeli 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 Xenia Meijer, completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both awarded cum laude. [3] 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.[4]

Career

Licht’s career centres on Baroque opera and sacred music, alongside Classical and early Classical roles. He has appeared at venues including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Theater an der Wien, the Janáček Theatre in Brno and opera houses in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.[5]

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.[6][7]

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

Date Role Name of concert / production Venue Location (city, country)
2025 Laertes Amleto (Francesco Gasparini)[8][9] Theater an der Wien Vienna, Austria
2024 Achille Ifigenia in Aulide (Nicola Porpora), Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival[10][11] Markgräfliches Opernhaus Bayreuth, Germany
Sep 2025–Jan 2026 Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart)[12][13][14] Oper Dortmund Dortmund, Germany
Oct–Dec 2025 Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart)[15][16] Janáček Theatre (NdB) Brno, Czech Republic
2025 Orlando Here I Am, Orlando (Ľubica Čekovská), world premiere[17] Janáček Theatre (NdB) Brno, Czech Republic
2024–2025 Soprano role San Giovanni Battista (Alessandro Stradella), Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival[18] Markgräfliches Opernhaus Bayreuth, Germany
2024 Sopranista soloist Baroque gala (incl. "Ombra mai fu") with Sexteto IBF[19] Auditorio Alfredo Kraus Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
2024 Sopranista soloist Baroque gala (Handel and Vivaldi arias) with Sexteto IBF[20] Auditorio Alfredo Kraus Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
2021–2025 Soprano soloist Messiah (Handel), concert performance[21] Concertgebouw (small hall) Amsterdam, Netherlands
2021–2025 Soprano soloist Mass in B minor (Bach)[22] Concertgebouw (small hall) Amsterdam, Netherlands
2023–2025 Soprano soloist (Didymus) Theodora (Handel), concert / semi-staged[23] Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
2024–2025 Featured singer CarMEN (adaptation of Bizet's Carmen)[24][25] Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Netherlands
2024–2025 Featured singer CarMEN (adaptation of Bizet's Carmen)[26] Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
2024–2025 Featured singer CarMEN (adaptation of Bizet's Carmen)[27] Parade Festival venues Netherlands
2024–2025 Featured singer Technopera (techno–opera project)[28] Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dec 2025 Sopranista soloist "Soprano senza maschera" – Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour[29][30] Michael Sela Auditorium Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
Dec 2025 Sopranista soloist "Soprano senza maschera" – Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour[31] Recanati Auditorium Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel
Dec 2025 Sopranista soloist "Soprano senza maschera" – Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour[32] Jerusalem International YMCA Jerusalem, Israel
Dec 2025 Sopranista soloist "Soprano senza maschera" – Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour[33] Elma Arts Complex Zikhron Ya'akov, Israel
2020 Soprano / ensemble Grachtenfestival Competition with Duo Zeffiretti[34][35] Grachtenfestival venues Amsterdam, Netherlands

Projects and collaborations

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

Licht has received several international prizes and distinctions for his singing.

  • Winner of the “Best Newcomer” award at the International Oper! Awards 2025.[36][37]
  • 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

  1. ^ "Maayan Licht was born in Israel, 20.05.1993". Facebook.
  2. ^ "Maayan Licht". AICF. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  3. ^ "Maayan Licht" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Oper Awards Winners 2025" (PDF).
  5. ^ "Biografie Mayaan Licht". ilgustobarocco.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  6. ^ "The Vocal Olympics Arrive in Israel with Sopranista Maayan Licht". www.culbyt.com (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  7. ^ Maier, Jan-Hendrik (2025-09-22). "Opern-Kritik: Theater Dortmund – Le nozze di Figaro". concerti.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  8. ^ "Premiere Ambleto - Aktuelles - Theater an der Wien". theater-wien.at.
  9. ^ "Ambleto – MusikTheater an der Wien". YouTube. 6 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Porpora: Ifigenia in Aulide - Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival".
  11. ^ "Maayan Licht - Allontanta agnella | Ifigenia in Aulide| Porpora". YouTube. 7 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Maayan Licht als Cherubino in einer Neuproduktion Le Nozze di Figaro an der Oper Dortmund".
  13. ^ "Die Hochzeit des Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro)".
  14. ^ "Maayan Licht's Mozart Debut at Oper Dortmund". YouTube. 30 October 2025.
  15. ^ "Maayan Licht als Cherubino... Oper Dortmund und Brünn".
  16. ^ "Le nozze di Figaro at Janáček Theatre". Facebook.
  17. ^ "Maayan Licht official website, operatic portrayals section".
  18. ^ "Maayan Licht official website, operatic portrayals section".
  19. ^ "Maayan Licht - Ombra mai fu| Handel". YouTube. 12 September 2024.
  20. ^ "Maayan Licht - 'Un pensiero nemico di pace'| Handel". YouTube. 3 August 2024.
  21. ^ "Maayan Licht - AICF".
  22. ^ "Maayan Licht - AICF".
  23. ^ "Maayan Licht official website, concert repertoire section".
  24. ^ "Club Classique: Highlights from Carmen (reinvented)". August 2025.
  25. ^ "Carmen reinvented at Concertgebouw".
  26. ^ "Maayan Licht official website, experimental projects section".
  27. ^ "Maayan Licht official website, experimental projects section".
  28. ^ "Maayan Licht official website, experimental projects section".
  29. ^ "Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour dates".
  30. ^ "Maayan Licht official website, next shows section".
  31. ^ "Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour dates".
  32. ^ "Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour dates".
  33. ^ "Israel Camerata Jerusalem tour dates".
  34. ^ "Maayan Licht - AICF, awards section".
  35. ^ "Duo Zeffiretti: Maayan Licht... Grachtenfestival prize".
  36. ^ "Maayan Licht - Archive, Performances, Tickets & Video". www.operabase.com. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  37. ^ "Maayan Licht uitgeroepen tot Oper!Award Best Newcomer". Conservatorium van Amsterdam (in Dutch). 2025-02-24. Retrieved 2025-12-29.