📷 JIYANG CHEN
About
American Mezzo-soprano, Leia Lensing has returned to the English countryside for the renowned Glyndebourne Festival Opera. She is currently making her role debut as Proserpina in the company’s debut production of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo. The production is directed by William Kentridge, creating a visual spectacle of the tale via his famed artistic signature. Leia is also covering the role of La Messaggera.
“Classy singing ... elegantly cultivated Proserpina”
Earlier in the 2025-2026 season, Leia returned to Houston Grand Opera, making a role debut in Suor Angelica as La Badessa, part of a complete production of Puccini’s Il Trittico.
2024-2025 Season Highlights: Leia made her Metropolitan Opera main stage debut in November 2024 (Die Frau ohne Schatten). In the new year, she returned to Staatsoper Stuttgart for a remount of the beloved and colorful Bastian Kraft production of Rusalka. Leia again returned to the Met and covered the role of Pauline in The Queen of Spades.
Spring of 2024: Leia made her UK debut in the quaint English countryside of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Here, she performed as the Dritte Dame, a feisty maid in the Barbe & Doucet production of Die Zauberflöte. Earlier this year, she returned to Staatsoper Stuttgart, for a remounted production of Nixon in China, as the 3rd Secretary.
2022-2023 season: Leia made her European debut at the Staatsoper Stuttgart as Waltraute and the Third Wood Nymph in a premiere productions of Die Walküre (April 2022) and Rusalka (June 2022). She would then go on to return to the company for the remounts of both productions the following season. Starting off 2023, Leia joined The Metropolitan Opera roster, covering Annina in La Traviata. The previous season, she covered the 3rd lady in the holiday production of The Magic Flute.
Third Lady, Die Zauberflöte, Glyndebourne Production Ltd 📷 Bill Knight
📷 Ars Lyrica Houston
September 2021: Leia returned to Ars Lyrica Houston for a concert of Bach and Handel, singing Vitrue (The Choice of Hercules) and Echo (BWV 213 Laßt uns sorgen, Laßt uns wachen). She made her debut with the company the previous season, in masked performances of the solo alto cantata BWV 170: Vergnügte Ruh’, beliebte Seelenlust, as well as the alto role in BWV 134: Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß.
Summer 2021, Leia returned to Wolf Trap Opera for several engagements. To begin her tenure, she curated a recital in collaboration with Yuri Aoki, including works of Britten, Vivaldi, and Howells, as well as diving into the Japanese Art Song repertoire, performing songs of Ikuma Dan. Later in the summer, Leia performed the title role in Holst’s Savitri on the Filene Center stage. The previous summer, Leia made her debut with the company, in several digital projects, including portions of Orfeo ed Euridice, Eugene Onegin, and Serse.
“Her innately eloquent phrasing gave considerable emotional depth to Savitri’s fear, faith, and foresight.”
In May 2020, Leia graduated from her two year tenure at the Houston Grand Opera Studio. During her time in the studio, she made her main stage debut as Frau Mary in Der fliegende Holländer (2018); covered the role of David in Handel’s Saul; curated recitals from the libraries of Shostakovich, Britten, and Howells; and performed in scenes programs featuring portions of Cendrillon (Massenet), La pietra del paragone (Rossini), Giustino (Handel), Semele (Handel), and Un ballo in maschera (Verdi). The end of her time in the studio was cut short due to the COVID pandemic, canceling performances of Die Zauberflöte and Salome.
Leading to her time at HGO, Leia competed in the 2018 Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers at Houston Grand Opera and was awarded the First Prize, as well as capturing the Online Viewers’ Choice Award, delivering a performance with “goosebump-inducing richness and beauty” (Houston Grand Opera).
📷 JIYANG CHEN
