Soraya Mafi

Lancashire-born soprano Soraya Mafi studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and Royal College of Music, supported by the Help Musicians UK Sybil Tutton Award. Soraya’s many awards and prizes include the Maggie Teyte Prize in 2014 and the Susan Chilcott Award in 2016. She was also the 2nd Prize winner in the 2015 Kathleen Ferrier Awards and is an Associate of the RNCM, an honour conferred upon recent alumni making an outstanding contribution in the early stages of their career.

In the 2022/23 season highlights included Tytania A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Glyndebourne Festival and Opéra de Rouen; Susanna Le nozze di Figaro for Glyndebourne on Tour, and Ismene Mitridate, re di Ponto for Garsington Opera. Future appearances see Soraya make her role debut as Pamina Die Zauberflöte and return to the Glyndebourne Festival, the Welsh National Opera, Opera North, and Garsington Opera.

A former Harewood Artist at the English National Opera, her roles for the company include Tytania A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mabel The Pirates of Penzance, Yum Yum The Mikado and Amor Orfeo ed Euridice. Elsewhere, she has appeared as Morgana in a new production of Alcina for the Glyndebourne Festival; Susanna Le nozze di Figaro for Seattle Opera and Welsh National Opera; Despina Cosi Fan Tutte for English National Opera; Anne Trulove The Rake’s Progress for Glyndebourne on Tour; Musetta La bohème for ENO at Alexandra Palace, Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Edinburgh International Festival, Nanetta Falstaff for Garsington Opera, Gretel Hänsel und Gretel, Constance Dialogues des Carmélites and First Niece Peter Grimes for Grange Park Opera, Aminta Il re pastore at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Cintia in Legrenzi’s La divisione del mondo for the Opéra national du Rhin, Cleopatra Giulio Cesare for English Touring Opera, and Suor Genoveva Suor Angelica for Opera North.

On the concert platform she has sung with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the BBC Symphony Orchestra Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Academy of Ancient Music and Ensemble Matheus with conductors such as Jonathan Cohen, Jean-Chrisophe Spinosi and Ludovic Morlot.

Her recital appearances include Wigmore Hall, Philharmonie Luxembourg, the Buxton and Oxford Lieder Festivals, the Ludlow English Song Weekend, the Crush Room of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Opéra de Lille.

Updated: 23/09/2023