SorayaMafi

/
Soprano
Scroll for more

Contact

Ivo Ivanov

Ivo Ivanov

Assistant Artist Manager

Representation

Worldwide general management with Askonas Holt

About Soraya

Soraya Mafi studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal College of Music and is a former Harewood Artist at the English National Opera.

In the 2024/25 season she will sing Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto for both Welsh National Opera and Irish National Opera and Pamina in Die Zauberfloete for Opera North. Following a great success as Valencienne in Glyndebourne's The Merry Widow conducted by John Wilson, she returns to the festival for Michal in Barrie Kosky's renowned production of Handel's Saul. In concert she sings Bach's Christmas Oratorio with the RIAS Kammerchor on tour in Europe, Viennese concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Handel arias with Arcangelo and Jonathan Cohen.

In the last two seasons she has sung Tytania A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Glyndebourne Festival and Opéra de Rouen; Susanna Le nozze di Figaro for Glyndebourne on Tour, and Ismene Mitridate, re di Ponto for Garsington Opera.

Elsewhere she has sung Tytania, Musetta La bohème, Despina Così fan tutte, Mabel The Pirates of Penzance and Yum Yum The Mikado for English National Opera, Susanna and Gilda Rigoletto for the Seattle Opera, Susanna for Welsh National Opera, Morgana Alcina and Anne Trulove The Rake’s Progress for Glyndebourne, Nanetta Falstaff for Garsington Opera, Gretel Hänsel und Gretel for Grange Park Opera and Echo Ariadne auf Naxos at the Edinburgh International Festival.

An accomplished recitalist, she has delighted audiences on tour in the UK with her programmes including Persian songs, reflecting her Iranian heritage.

Soraya is based in London

Download programme biography   

Representation

Worldwide general management with Askonas Holt

Season Highlights

Jun 2024 - Jul 2024
Glyndebourne, Lewes
Lehar The Merry Widow (Valencienne) John Wilson (conductor)
Sep 2024 - Nov 2024
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff and on tour
Verdi Rigoletto (Gilda) Pietro Rizzo (conductor)
Dec 2024 - Dec 2024
Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin
Verdi Rigoletto (Gilda) Fergus Sheil (conductor)

Photos

Selected Repertoire

JenkinsThe Peacemakers   •   The Armed Man

Press

  • Verdi Rigoletto

    Irish National Opera
    Dec 2024
    • Soraya Mafi, fresh from singing the role for Welsh National Opera, returns to her part-Irish roots in what for me is the operatic performance of the year … almost floating away from the balcony in a breathtaking "Caro nome"

    • As Gilda, the English soprano Soraya Mafi … scales with incredible comfort and sweetness Verdi’s unforgiving vocal high-wire act.

    • Soraya Mafi offering a soaring innocence in her exquisite Gilda

    • Possessing a voice of angelic purity, Soraya Mafi unfurled the gossamer threads of her arias with grace and delicacy, her soprano silkily seductive and there was an effortless beauty as she reached up to those scarily high top notes.

    • ... the sweet, rounded tone of soprano Soraya Mafi made her a perfect Gilda and she comfortably handled technical challenges such as the coloratura aria ‘Caro nome'