CCM Philharmonia, choirs and alumni guest artists in concert on Sept. 21

A native of Crestwood, Kentucky, soprano Amanda Woodbury has been praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as having a voice that is “bright, beautifully colored, and full of strength and passion.” Ms. Woodbury recently made her house debut at Irish National Opera reprising her signature role of Violetta in Olivia Fuchs’ production of La Traviata at the historic Gaiety Theatre. Ms. Woodbury also made her house debut at Opéra national du Lorraine as Elettra in Idomeneo in 2023.

In 2022 Ms. Woodbury returned to Los Angeles Opera for her role debut in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor, which the LA Times said “all flows from her without effort.” Ms. Woodbury also debuted the role of Catherine of Aragon in Saint-Saëns’ Henry VIII with the Bard Music Festival.

Career highlights include Ms. Woodbury’s debut with the Glyndebourne Festival as Countess in the Michael Grandage production of Le nozze di Figaro, multiple appearances at the Metropolitan Opera including Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, a role debut as Juliette in the new Bartlett Sher production of Roméo et Juliette, Leïla in Les Pêcheurs des perles, Woglinde in Robert Lepage’s productions of Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung, Tebaldo in Don Carlo, appearances on the Rising Stars concert series, and covers of the title role in Manon and Rodelina, Norina in Don Pasquale and Antonia in Les contes d’Hoffmann. Ms. Woodbury has also been regularly seen on the stage of LA Opera with roles including Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Micaëla in Carmen, Musetta in La bohème, and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte. Additional operatic highlights include the role of Violetta in La traviata with the Glimmerglass Festival, San Antonio Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Irish National Opera, Pia in Donizetti’s Pia de’ Tolomei with the Spoleto festival, the title role in Bellini’s La straniera with Washington Concert Opera, her role debut as Marguerite in Faust with Tulsa Opera, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Des Moines Metro Opera, Madison Opera, Opera Omaha, and Dayton Opera, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with Madison Opera, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with the Merola Opera Program, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi at the Aspen Music Festival. Ms. Woodbury was scheduled to make her debut with the Glyndebourne Festival in the role of Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and her debut with Opera Hong Kong as Opehlia in Thomas’ Hamlet, both of which were cancelled due to COVID-19.

Concert work includes her LA Phil debut as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, Handel’s Messiah with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Mahler’s Symphony Number 8 and Haydn’s Creation with the Cincinnati May Festival conducted by James Conlon, the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana with the Aspen Music Festival, Fauré’s Requiem with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and her international debut singing Ophelia’s mad scene from Hamlet by Thomas with Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Additional appearances include American Symphony Orchestra for a concert of Bach Arias, marking her Alice Tully Hall debut, and Mozart Mass in C with the New Choral Society.

In 2014 Ms. Woodbury was honored as a Grand Final Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and second place and audience choice award in Plácido Domingo’s Operalia competition. Ms. Woodbury was also awarded both a Sarah Tucker Study Grant and Richard Tucker Career Grant, as well as Second Place and audience choice award in both the Eleanor McCollum Houston Grand Opera competition and the Dallas Opera competitions.

Ms. Woodbury received a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Bachelor of Music degree at Indiana University.

Praised for her ‘shimmering mezzo-soprano' and a voice of ‘pure vocal gold’, American mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker is quickly garnering an international reputation for her artistry and versatility in opera and on the concert platform.

In the 2024/25 season, Decker will make a series of debuts including her role debut as Cherubino in Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro at Chicago Lyric Opera, a house and role debut as Wellgunde in Wagner Das Rheingold, and a house debut as cover Cherubino in Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro at The Metropolitan Opera. On the concert platform, Decker will return to Chicago to perform Handel Messiah with The Chicago Apollo Chorus and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in Copenhagen, will sing Ethel Smyth Mass in D at Washington National Cathedral and Mahler 2 with CCM. In recital, Kayleigh returns to SOKA Performing Arts Center for Mahler Ruckert Lieder and takes part in the ‘Beyond the Aria’ recital series at the Harris Theater, Chicago.

Last season Decker made a house debut for Welsh National Opera as Dorabella in a new production of Mozart Cosi fan tutte conducted by Tomáš Hanus, returned to Cincinnati Opera for staged performances of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio and covered Angelina in Rossini La Cenerentola for Boston Lyric Opera. On the concert platform Kayleigh made debuts with the San Francisco Symphony and Orchestre de Paris for Stravinsky Les Noces conducted by Esa Pekka Salonen, Mozart Requiem with the orchestra of Welsh National Opera conducted by Tomáš Hanus, Handel Messiah with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Mogens Dahl and her debut with the Grant Park Music Festival for Mahler 8. A keen recitalist, Kayleigh performed with Soka University, the Cincinnati Song Initiative and the Pacific Vocal Series.

Recent highlights have included her house and role debut as Dorabella in Mozart Cosi fan Tutte for Dallas Opera, Ruggiero Handel Alcina with Les Violons du Roy conducted by Jonathan Cohen, her role debut as Isolier in Rossini Le Comte Ory for Lyric Opera Chicago, described as “The finest overall performance of the afternoon” by the Chicago Classical Review, as well returning to Cincinnati Opera in her role debut as Alisa in Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor and Kate Pinkerton in Puccini Madama Butterfly.

As an ensemble member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Kayleigh’s roles included her debut as Second Cretan Woman in Mozart Idomeneo, Kate Pinkerton in Puccini Madama Butterfly and a number of notable cover roles, including Le Prince Charmant in Massenet Cendrillon, Rosina in Rossini The Barber of Seville, Laura in Verdi Luisa Miller and Donna Elvira in Mozart Don Giovanni conducted by James Gaffigan.

A passionate song interpreter, she was named one of Caramoor’s 2018 Schwab Vocal Rising Stars and was a participant in the inaugural season of Renée Fleming’s SongStudio at Carnegie Hall. She has given recitals produced by the Cincinnati Song Initiative, Pelican Hill recital series and recently performed a solo recital at Carnegie Hall and the Chicago Cultural Center.

In 2019, Kayleigh was the recipient of three prestigious scholarships: the Luminarts Fellowship, first place in the Musicians Club of Women Scholarship Competition, and a Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation. Further accolades include first place in the Three Arts Scholarship Fund Competition and The Macdowell Society Scholarship Award in Cincinnati, second place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions-Great Lakes Region, first place in the CCM Opera Scholarship Competition, and the Encouragement award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions-Cincinnati District in 2016.

Kayleigh was a young artist at the Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Utah Festival Opera. Other training programs include the Houston Grand Opera Young Artists Vocal Academy, and Oberlin in Italy. She also participated in the first of Joyce DiDonato’s Masterclass Series at Carnegie Hall, streamed live on Medici.tv.