Bio
Described by The Times as “charming, sparkling, and [offering] exquisite singing”, Northern Irish soprano Aoife Miskelly is known for her extensive breadth of repertoire and versatility as a singing actress. She is an award-winning graduate and Associate of the Royal Academy of Music London.
After several seasons singing major roles as a principal soloist at Oper Köln, she is now a freelance soloist. Her career takes her across Europe and beyond, with appearances at major houses including La Monnaie, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Japan and the Royal Opera House Oman. Highly regarded for her interpretations of Mozart’s compositional writing, Aoife’s roles include Donna Elvira, Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Susanna, Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Pamina, Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Despina (Così fan tutte), and Servilia (La Clemenza di Tito).
Aoife is also known for her natural ability to perform modern repertoire with highlights including Sophie Scholl in the world premiere of Peter Maxwell-Davies’ opera Kommilitonen!, Harey in the German premiere of Detlev Glanet’s opera Solaris, Cecily Cardew in the Irish premiere of Gerald Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest, alongside premieres of works by Mark-Anthony Turnage, Donnacha Dennehy and Jonathan Dove.
Other notable roles include The Governess The Turn of the Screw, Gilda Rigoletto, Gretel Hänsel und Gretel, Musetta La Bohéme, Vixen Sharpears (The Cunning little Vixen), the title role Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden, Thérèse Les Mamelles de Tirésias, Helena A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Eliza My Fair Lady.
Aoife has worked with conductors including Esa-Pekka Salonen, Rafael Payare, Julia Jones, Markus Stenz, Yutako Sado, Francois Xavier Roth, Tomáš Hanus, Raphaël Pichon, Peter Whelan and Laurence Cummings, with orchestras including The London Philharmonia Orchestra, Academy of Ancient Music, RTÉ NSO, Ulster Orchestra, RTÉ CO, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Irish Concert Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, NDR Radio Philharmonie, Gürzenich Orchester, and Ensemble Pygmalion.
Aoife is also highly regarded an accomplished oratorio singer, having performed throughout the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Austria and Slovakia with highlights including Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, St. John and St. Matthew Passions, Beethoven’s Christ on the Mount of Olives, Choral Symphony, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Carissimi’s Jepthe, Handel’s Messiah, and Saul, Mozart’s Requiem, Poulenc’s Gloria, Stravinsky’s Mass, and Vivaldi’s Gloria.
Recent engagements include Idaspe in Vivaldi’s Bajazet with Royal Opera House/Irish National Opera, Musetta La Bohème for Welsh National Opera, Bird in Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert for The Potsdamer Winteroper, Poulenc’s Gloria at The Barbican, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah at St John’s, Smith Square. Upcoming engagements include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with L’Operá de Lausanne, Bird in Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert (company yet to be announced), Brahm’s Requiem at The Barbican, Bach’s Magnificat at Winchester Cathedral, and Mozart’s Requiem and Marianna Martines’ Dixit Dominus in London.