Taylor Raven
mezzo
Taylor Raven is a “vocal sensation” (Washington Classical Review) and quickly establishing herself in opera, concert and recital. In the 2024-25 season, she debuts with the Metropolitan Opera in the company premiere of Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra (Charmian) and with Pacific Opera Victoria for La clemenza di Tito (Sesto). On the concert stage she debuts with the Minnesota Orchestra for Mozart’s Requiem, Duisburger Philharmoniker for Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater, the United States Naval Academy for Messiah, Buffalo Philharmonic for Sanctuary Road and Quad City Symphony Orchestra for Giddens’ Omar’s Journey (Fatima). In recital, Raven debuts with the Northwest Sinfonietta performing Jessie Montgomery’s Five Freedom Songs and makes her New York City solo recital debut with the Kaufmann Music Center. Additional appearances include a return to North Carolina Opera for their Opera in the Park series.
Raven began last season with a return to the San Francisco Opera for a role debut as Fatima in Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’ Omar. Other season highlights included returns to Seattle Opera for Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina) and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a fully staged production of Das Rheingold (Flosshilde) with scenic design by Frank Gehry and conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. On the concert stage she debuted with the Colorado Symphony for Beethoven Symphony No. 9 conducted by Marin Alsop and the Memphis Symphony for Messiah.
In 2022-23, Raven made her debut at the San Francisco Opera for a trio of operas including the world premiere of John Adams’ new opera Antony and Cleopatra (Charmian), Dialogues des Carmélites (Sister Mathilde) and La Traviata (Flora). Other highlights included debuts with Kentucky Opera for La Cenerentola (Angelina) and Chicago Opera Theater for The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing (Joan Clarke) and returns to Des Moines Metro Opera for the title role in Carmen. On the concert stage, she made her debut with the Cleveland Orchestra for La fanciulla del West (Wowkle) conducted by Franz Welser-Möst.
Recent engagements include debuts with Houston Grand Opera for The Magic Flute (Dritte Dame), Washington Concert Opera for Lakmé (Mallika) and North Carolina Opera for Moravec’s Sanctuary Road. On the concert stage she made debuts with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Iowa, and returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Additional engagements included the world premiere of a song cycle commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with Urban Arias and a return to the roster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Other career highlights include debuts with Des Moines Metro Opera in Pique Dame (Pauline), Finger Lakes Opera in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina), and Handel & Haydn Society for Beethoven Symphony No. 9 conducted by Marin Alsop. She is a recent graduate of the Young Artist Program at LA Opera, where she was seen in La clemenza di Tito (Annio), Don Carlo (Tebaldo), the Kosky production of Die Zauberflöte (Zweite Dame) conducted by James Colon, and Hansel and Gretel (Sandman). As a Filene Artist at Wolf Trap Opera she performed in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina) and L'heure espagnole (Concepción). On the concert stage she made her Alice Tully Hall debut appearing with the American Symphony Orchestra for a concert of Bach arias conducted by Leon Botstein.
Raven made her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut as a soloist in the Hollywood Bowl performance of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with Bramwell Tovey and made her debut with Seattle Opera in As One (Hannah After). She appeared with the New West Symphony in Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky under Mikhail Agrest and made her Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra debut as a soloist in Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied with James Conlon as a part of their May Festival.
Raven holds degrees from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of Colorado-Boulder.