About.
An artist who “possesses not only a gorgeous voice but the spirit and personality of a consummate storyteller” (Boston Classical Review), soprano Ailyn Pérez has earned her place as one of the most beloved artists onstage today. The child of Mexican immigrants, Ailyn reached a history-making career landmark in 2012, becoming the first Hispanic recipient of the Richard Tucker Award. Since then, she’s been celebrated all over the world for her sensitive and nuanced portrayals, radiant and powerful voice, and unmistakable star power.
Ailyn’s 2026/27 season is a busy one, packed with signature roles and several debuts. She kicks off the season with her “angelic” (New York Times) interpretation of Verdi’s Requiem with the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra at Lincoln Center in New York City. From there, she makes a long-awaited house debut at São Paulo’s Theatro Municipal as Elisabetta in Verdi’s gripping Don Carlo. Later in the fall, Ailyn adds another milestone: her role and house debut at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, stepping into Puccini’s Manon Lescaut for the first time, in a new production by Oliver Mears.
Later in the season, she returns to Houston Grand Opera in the title role of Verdi’s Aida, then on to Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust at the Bayerische Staatsoper. April brings Ailyn back to The Metropolitan Opera, where she brings her “ideal Desdemona: effortlessly beautiful, pure, and sympathetic” (Houstonia Magazine) in Otello to the stage; broadcast live as part of The Met: Live in HD series. She returns to The Met again later in the spring for their star-studded 60th Anniversary Gala, before taking on Puccini’s Tosca in concert with the Minnesota Orchestra. In June she joins Boston Lyric Opera for a staged version of Golijov’s genre-defying song cycle, Ayre, and she wraps up her season with an electrifying new role at Santa Fe Opera: Janáček’s Kátya Kabanová.
Ailyn is a regular presence at The Metropolitan Opera, where her roles have included Madama Butterfly, praised by Bachtrack as “an absolute triumph,” Thaïs, Mimì and Musetta (La bohème), Alice Ford (Falstaff), Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), Blanche de la Force (Dialogues des Carmélites), Micaëla (Carmen), Contessa Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), and more. In 2023, she gave a history-making performance as the title role in Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas, the first Spanish-language opera to be performed on the stage of The Met in almost a century.
Other recent career highlights include her role debut as Aida at Semperoper Dresden; Madama Butterfly at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Real, and Houston Grand Opera; Desdemona (Otello) with the Bayerische Staatsoper; Tosca with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Staatsoper Berlin, Royal Ballet and Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Staatsoper Hamburg; Nedda (Pagliacci) at the Bayerische Staatsoper and Dutch National Opera; Leonora (Il trovatore) at Houston Grand Opera; Tatyana Bakst in the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s Great Scott (featured on an acclaimed Erato recording release) at The Dallas Opera, and Amelia Grimaldi (Simon Boccanegra) at Teatro alla Scala, Staatsoper Berlin, and Opernhaus Zürich.
Download Press PackHer voice has a distinctive timbre, with plaintive richness blended into its youthful bloom ... Ms. Pérez, a beautiful woman who commands the stage, has the makings of a major soprano.
Anthony Tommasini
The New York Times
Ailyn Pérez confirms her outstanding artistic qualities. Her beautiful and generous voice, her commanding technique as well as the broadest possible spectrum of feelings allow her to make a captivating drama of every piece.
Remy Franck
Pizzicato
On the concert stage, Ailyn has recently sung Verdi’s Requiem with The Metropolitan Opera, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Boston Philharmonic, and Orchestre Métropolitain in Montréal. She’s also made guest appearances at gala concerts for The Metropolitan Opera and the Royal Opera House, and has given recitals for London’s Rosenblatt Recitals at Wigmore Hall, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Washington Concert Opera, and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale.
Three of Ailyn’s performances with The Metropolitan Opera are available exclusively on Apple Music and iTunes: Verdi’s Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11, her Mimì in Puccini’s La bohème, and the GRAMMY-nominated recording of Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas. On DVD, you can catch her live from Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as Alice Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff, as Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci at the Dutch National Opera (available from Naxos Classical), and as Tatyana Bakst in Heggie’s Great Scott, which premiered at The Dallas Opera (available from Erato).
A passionate advocate for Spanish-language composers, Ailyn teamed up with Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang for her deeply personal album, Mi Corazón, a heartfelt exploration of her musical heritage, available exclusively on Apple Music and iTunes. Her debut album, Poème d’un jour on Opus Arte, was met with rave reviews, including a five-star rating from the UK’s Independent.
Ailyn is a graduate of Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts and Indiana University. She serves as an Artistic Advisor and is on the faculty of the Vincerò Academy, and is an Opera for Peace Ambassador. Her many accolades include the Metropolitan Opera’s Beverly Sills Artist Award (2016), George London Foundation’s Leonie Rysanek Award (2006), Shoshana Foundation Career Grant (2007), 2nd place in the 2006 Operalia Competition, and honors from the Loren L. Zachary Foundation, Opera Index, and the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation.
Biography current as of August 2026 – please replace all previous versions.
Perez’s lyric soprano is pure and honeyed in tone, and she deploys it with elegance and tenderness … Perez is also a natural actress ...
Mike Silverman
Associated Press