NEWS
Maayan Licht new with Parnassus
28.04.2023
We are very pleased to announce that we are taking over the worldwide management for the male soprano Maayan Licht, who comes from Israel and lives in Amsterdam with an Austrian passport.
The highly talented male soprano Maayan Licht took part in several top-class baroque productions in the 2022/23 season. During the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival 2022, Maayan sang the title role in the new production of Leonardo Vinci's opera Alessandro nell'Indie, directed by Max Emanuel Cencic and conducted by Martyna Pastuszka. In the same festival, Maayan also sang Herodiade la figlia in San Giovanni Battista in concert version, for the first time in front of a large and international audience.
You can see Maayan Licht in a Youtube video performing the aria Vil trofeo d'un alma imbella from Vinci's Alessandro nell'Indie at the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival 2022.
Maayan Licht was born in Jerusalem, Israel. He completed his vocal studies in early music as a soprano at the Amsterdam Conservatory with Xenia Meijer. His Bachelor's and Master's studies followed in 2021 with the distinction cum laude. Since then he has interpreted virtuoso operatic roles as well as the Italian and French Baroque repertoire, which he shapes with a rich palette of expressive nuances. He turned to early music after his Israeli singing teacher Vita Gurevich discovered his talent in this field.
By 2019, he had sung roles such as the soprano solo in Handel's Messiah and in Bach's B minor Mass in Amsterdam, Amore in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice and Danceny in Dangerous Liaisons. In 2020, Maayan was invited to sing the title role in Rossini's Sigismondo at the Opera Rara Festival in Krakow. In February 2022, he sang the role of Libanio in Siface by Porpora with Capella Cracoviensis in Krakow. Later that year he performed with his group "Technopera", which combines opera and techno music, at the prestigious music festival "Down The Rabbit Hole" in the Netherlands and at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In December 2022, he made his debut at the Theater an der Wien with the role of Amore in L'arbore di Diana by Martin y Soler, conducted by Rubén Dubrovsky, to much acclaim from the press and public.
In February 2023, Maayan made his debut at the Landestheater Detmold, where he has since sung and will sing the title role in Handel's Xerxes until the end of June 2023. The role of Xerxes was a role debut for Maayan and he rehearsed the part in just a few weeks. Maayan received raved reviews from critics and audiences! Here is a small excerpt of Maayan Licht's reviews as Xerxes:
"The ultimate star of this production is undoubtedly Maayan Licht in the title role. (...)"
Opera! The Magazine
"Maayan Licht not only has an enormous acrobatic stage presence visually, but is also optimally convincing vocally. (...)"
The Opera Glass
"Not only the star guest of the evening Maayan Licht shone as Xerxes, the whole ensemble with its excellent orchestra under the direction of Per-Otto Johansson convinced in multifaceted nuances."
Lippische Landes-Zeitung
"Maayan Licht, who is also tremendously agile in the staging, gives an absolutely splendid performance in the title role with his luminous soprano voice, which is impressively clear and virtuosic in the coloratura, and portrays a ruthlessly aggressive, but at the same time vulnerable ruler. (...)"
Online Music Magazine
Maayan Licht will sing the title role of Xerxes in Detmold until 22 June 2023. In summer 2023 Maayan will be a guest in Semele at Glyndebourne and again at the Bayreuth Baroque Festival with his "Duo Zeffiretti" for solo concerts. One of the highlights of the 2023/24 season will be Maayan's take on the title role of Orlando in a world premiere at Brno Opera in June 2024 !
Please check also Maayan Licht's Instagram profile.
Very welcome at Parnassus, dear Maayan !