Maureen McKay
Soprano
Following performances of Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, the Washington Post hailed soprano
Maureen McKay as the "undisputed star of the show," and further exclaimed, "Armed with a
silvery, precisely aimed voice, natural stage presence and the kind of beautifully detailed acting
you don't see often enough on the operatic stage, McKay turned in a smart, sexy and thoroughly
charming performance." In the 2014-15 season, she returns to the Komische Oper Berlin to
reprise her performance of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, which she sang in the premiere of
Kosky’s popular production. She also sings further performances of Die Zauberflöte with Opera
Colorado and her first Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress in a return to Portland Opera as well
as returns to the Metropolitan Opera roster for Le nozze di Figaro. She will also make her debut
with the Edinburgh International Festival. Last season, she made debuts with the Bayerische
Staatsoper in one of her most frequently performed roles, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel; Cleveland
Orchestra for Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and Saito Kinen Festival as Nannetta in Falstaff, both
under the baton of Fabio Luisi; and Washington National Opera as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte.
She also returned to the Komische Oper Berlin as Elisa in a concert performance of Il re pastore
and to the Metropolitan Opera roster for the company’s production of Der Rosenkavalier.
As a previous member of the ensemble at the Komische Oper Berlin, Ms. McKay sang leading
roles in the premieres of several new productions that include Blanche in Dialogues des
carmélites, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, and Marzelline in Fidelio.
Also with the company, she sang Mozart’s Requiem in performances conducted by music
director, Henrik Nánási, as well as Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro,
Norina in Don Pasquale, and Musetta in La bohème.
Among her other previous engagements are Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel with Opera Company of
Philadelphia, Portland Opera, and Tulsa Opera in addition to joining the Metropolitan Opera
roster for the same title, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Susanna in
Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Cleveland, a return to the Opera Company of Philadelphia for
Eurydice in Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice, Lightfoot McLendon in Cold Sassy Tree with Atlanta
Opera, Lilla in Una cosa rara and Elisa in Il re pastore with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Zerlina
in Don Giovanni with New Orleans Opera, Despina in Così fan tutte, Caroline Gaines in Richard
Danielpour’s Margaret Garner with New York City Opera, Musetta in La bohème with Opera
Omaha, Norina in Don Pasquale with Anchorage Opera, Lisa in La sonnambula with
Washington Concert Opera, and Laurey in Oklahoma! with Central City Opera. She joined Seiji
Ozawa for the Dew Fairy and the Sandman in Hänsel und Gretel in his Ongaku-juku Opera
Project throughout Japan and made her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Papagena in
Die Zauberflöte conducted by Leonard Slatkin at the Hollywood Bowl.
The soprano’s concert performances include Schmidt’s Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln with the
Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Mozart’s Requiem and Debussy’s La
demoiselle élue with the Utah Symphony, a program of Viennese music by Lehár and Johann
Strauss with the Saint Louis Symphony, Carmina Burana with the National Symphony
Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and Utah Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Royal
Liverpool Philharmonic under the baton of Gerard Schwarz (to be released on a commercial
recording), Grieg’s Peer Gynt with the Oregon Symphony, and Louis Andriessen’s The New
Math(s) with the Seattle Chamber Players. With Seattle’s Music of Remembrance, she premiered
Lori Laitman’s song cycle I Never Saw Another Butterfly for soprano and clarinet and sang
Aninku in Tony Kushner’s adaptation of Hans Krasa’s Brundibár; a recording including both
Brundibár and Laitman’s song cycle is available on the Naxos label. She also performed Simon
Sargon’s song cycle, Shema, with Music of Remembrance.
Ms. McKay is a former member of Seattle Opera's Young Artists Program and was a Filene
Young Artist with Wolf Trap Opera Company, where she sang Johanna in Sweeney Todd,
Ismene in Telemann’s Orpheus, and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro. She earned her Bachelor of
Music at Columbus State University in Georgia (summa cum laude) and her Master of Music at
The Ohio State University.
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MAUREEN MCKAY
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Soprano
2014-2015 Season
Please destroy any previously received publicity materials
Personal Direction: Michael Benchetrit
Press acclaim for
MAUREEN MCKAY
As Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at Washington National Opera:
"Pamina, Maureen McKay combined a charming stage presence with a soprano voice of sweet clarity and
sincerity. McKay is the kind of opera singer who gives opera a good name these days - her acting is equal
to her musical artistry."
-- Broadway World.com (Washington National Opera)
As Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at Komische Oper Berlin:
"Vocally the star of the show was Maureen McKay playing the demure Pamina the daughter of the Queen
of the Night. Clothed in black and white to look ordinary McKay was highly assured, with a lovely
creamy tone and impeccable diction, delivering just the right amount of expressive yearning for Tamino's
affections."
-- Seen and Heard International (Komische Oper Berlin)
"Maureen McKay ist eine schier entwaffnend-liebreizende und mit ihrem glaskristallenen und
schnörkellosen lyrischen Sopran geradezu perfekt besetzte Vorzeige-Pamina."
-- Kultur-Extra, das Online Magazin (Komische Oper Berlin)
"Maureen McKay hat die ideale Gretelstimme. In der Höhe strahlend mit voller Mittellage singt sie
mühelos und spielt dabei mit leichtfüßigem Verve. Die Tanzeinlagen mit ihrem Hänsel zu Beginn des
Stückes sind cool und witzig zugleich...Beide Sängerinnen harmonieren stark miteinander und tragen mit
Noblesse und Qualität die Aufführung. Der ganz im Piano beginnende Abendsegen gehört musikalisch so
auch zu den Höhepunkten."
-- Der Neue Merker (Komische Oper Berlin)
As soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Cleveland Orchestra:
"Likewise enchanting was the performance by soprano Maureen McKay in the symphony's final
movement, a vision of heaven as perceived by a youth. More than just a bright, pretty voice, McKay also
brought to her performance a keen sense of dramatic expression, singing as if she herself were enjoying
the bliss of an afterlife filled with eating and dancing. Ultimately, thanks to Luisi and McKay, the night
closed with an opening."
-- The Plain Dealer (The Cleveland Orchestra/Mahler's Symphony No. 4)