Ai-Lan Zhu, Coach
Ai-Lan Zhu is one of America’s most sought-after interpreters of the lyric repertoire, having been engaged by the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, l’Opéra de Quebec, l’Opéra de Montreal, Vancouver Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Opera Pacific, San Diego Opera, Orlando Opera, Connecticut Opera, Virginia Opera, Atlanta Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Carolina, Knoxville Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Michigan Opera Theater, Minnesota Opera, and the Boston Lyric Opera.
In Europe she has appeared as Pamina / DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE at the Glyndebourne Festival, Marzelline / FIDELIO with Scottish Opera, and as Cio Cio San / MADAMA BUTTERFLY at the Royal Albert Hall in London and with the National Reisopera in the Netherlands.
She has sung the role of Mélisande in over 50 performances of Peter Brook’s production of PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE with Opera du Nord in Paris and subsequently toured throughout Europe in 35 more performances.
Ms. Zhu’s signature roles include: Mimi / LA BOHÈME, Liu / TURANDOT, Micaëla / CARMEN, Desdemona / Otello, Maddalena / ANDREA CHÉNIER, Leila / LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES, Violetta in LA TRAVIATA, Countess / LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Gilda / Rigoletto, Marguerite / FAUST, Woglinde / DAS RHEINGOLD, Nedda / I PAGLIACCI, and most notably, Cio Cio San in MADAMA BUTTERFLY.
Ms. Zhu appeared as Zerlina / DON GIOVANNI in the celebrated movie by Peter Sellars, and was the only Asian artist featured in this critically acclaimed production.
In concert she has appeared as soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Brahms’ German Requiem, Verdi’s Requiem and the Four Last Songs of Richard Strauss.
A recipient of many awards, Ms. Zhu was a finalist in Opera Company of Philadelphia’s Luciano Pavarotti International Vocal Competition, and winner of the S.A.I. Competition in Chautauqua and the Liederkranz Competition in New York.