Dublin-born Irish mezzo-soprano Aebh Kelly is a member of the ensemble at Staatsoper Hamburg. Praised for her “beautiful dark mezzo timbre” (Forum Opera) and “flawless technique, great high notes, and the ability to expand dramatically” (Online Merker), she has established herself as a versatile artist on the international operatic stage.

The 2026/27 season sees Kelly make major house debuts at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra national de Paris and Teatro alla Scala, alongside a series of important role debuts. She recently made her debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Clotilde in Bellini’s Norma, followed by her Opéra national de Paris debut as Nancy Tang in John Adams’ Nixon in China.

Her roles this season in Hambrug include Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Mercédès in Bizet’s Carmen, and Rossweiße in Wagner’s Die Walküre. In summer 2027, she makes her Teatro alla Scala debut, returning to the role of Nancy Tang in Nixon in China.

Her recent role debuts also include Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, Dryade in Ariadne auf Naxos, the Page of Herodias in Salome, Anna Kennedy in Maria Stuarda, and Wowkle in Puccini’s La fanciulla del West.

Kelly has worked with conductors including Kent Nagano, Antonino Fogliani, Giacomo Sagripanti, Alexander Joel and Omer Meir Wellber, as well as leading international opera companies and festivals. Her recent engagements include performances at Staatsoper Hamburg, Teatro La Fenice, the Lerici Music Festival, and Theater und Orchester Heidelberg, where she made her German debut in 2023 as Olga in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.

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Kelly first gained international recognition as a finalist in the Neue Stimmen competition in 2019. She is an alumna of the Mascarade Emerging Artists Programme in Florence and the Georg Solti Accademia, and was a member of the Irish National Opera Studio, later returning to the company to make her role debut as Flora in Verdi’s La traviata in 2024. Her awards include Second Prize at the 2022 Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, the Dublin Song Series Prize, and the Dermot Troy Prize.

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A first-class honours graduate of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Kelly studied with Virginia Kerr and Dearbhla Collins.