“Maayan brings out every emotion and soulfulness in his part. The famouse castrato Farinelli, whom Porpora deemed the greatest singer in Europe, could not have performed it better” – Concerti.de
Winner of the “Best Newcomer” award at the prestigious International Oper! Awards 2025, Licht is recognised as oneof the most exciting emerging voices in opera today.
The year 2024 has been a breakthrough year for Maayan Licht. He was marked as a rising star for the role of Achilles in Porpora’s Ifigenia in Aulide conducted by Christophe Rousset and directed by Max Emanuel Cenčić, and the title role in the world premiere ofĽubica Čekovská’s Here I Am, Orlando, nominated for the International Opera Awards. Licht has been called the modern- day Farinelli, known for singing roles that almost no one else can perform today. He has also received outstanding reviews for his portrayal of the title role in Handel’s Xerxes, a role he reprised in Staatstheater Oldenburg. Moreover, Licht will shine with Julia Lezhneva in the main role of Alcidoro in J.C. Bach’s Amor Vincitore at the SWRFestival Schwetzingen and on tour in May 2025 and in the role of Cheubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at Oper Dortmund, premiering in September 2025.
Discovered by his Israeli teacher Vita Gurevich, Licht completed his Early Music vocal studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam under Xenia Meijer, graduating with distinction in 2021. He has since received numerous awards, including the Grand Prize at the Vienna International Music Competition, the jury and audience prizes at the Grachtenfestival Competition in 2020 with his duo “Duo Zeffiretti“.
His operatic roles include Achille in Porpora’s Ifigenia in Aulide (Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival, 2024), Xerxes in Handel’s Xerxes (Landestheater Detmold, 2023), Amore in Martin y Soler’s L’arbore di Diana (Wiener Kammeroper, 2022), the title role in Vinci’s Alessandro nell’Indie, the title role in
Giacomelli’s Scipione in Cartagine nuova (Teatro Farnese, Parma, 2023), Iris (cover) in Handel’s Semele (Glyndebourne, 2023), Orlando in the world premiere of Ľubica Čekovská’s Here I Am, Orlando (Janáček Theatre,Brno, 2024) and Aquilio in Graun’s Adriano in Siria ( Philharmonie Essen, 2024).
Furthermore, Licht performed Erodiade La Figlia in Stradella’s San Giovanni Battista (Bayreuth Baroque, 2022), the title-role (cover) in Rossini’s Sigismondo, Libanio in Porpora’s Siface (Teatr Słowackiego in Kraków, 2020 & 2022),Amore in Gluck’s Orfeo (Haarlem, 2019), Danceny in Dangerous Liaisons by Vivaldi and Moretto (The Netherlands & TBOS Switzerland).
His concert repertoire includes soprano solos in Handel’s Messiah,Bach’s Mass in B Minor, the St. John and Matthew Passions, aswell as the role of Didymus in Handel’s Theodora. He has performed with esteemed groups such as the Bach Society and Les Talens Lyriques.
Maayan Licht has made his debut at prestigious venues, including the Concertgebouw, Theater an der Wien and The Margravial OperaHouse.
Additionally, Licht merges techno and opera music with his group “Technopera” at an exceptional level. Technopera has performed at distinguished venues like the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and therenowned music festival “Down the Rabbit Hole” in The Netherlands.
Upcoming highlights include the role of Laertes in Gasparini’sAmbleto (Theater an der Wien, 2025), Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze Di Figaro (Janáček Theatre, Brno, 2025), the title role in Handel’s Xerxes at Staatstheater Oldenburg, Carmen in Bizet’s Carmen (The Concertgebouw & De Parade Festival, Amsterdam &Utrecht, 2025).
The young male soprano performs concerts in Liederhalle Stuttgart, Valencia, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ignalina, Vilnius, Abu Ghosh, Festivak Oude Muziek Utrecht, Feuchtwangen, Arosa, Konstanz and Monteverdi Festival Cremona.
