Hannah De Priest is a fearless performer of a wide range of lyric soprano repertoire. Hailed a “breakout artist” (Boston Globe) with “a voice that is theater itself” (Classique News), recent credits include her Kennedy Center debut, (Opera Lafayette, La serva padrona), European debut at the Innsbruck Early Music Festival, (Gilde, L’amazzone corsara), and multiple productions with Boston Early Music Festival. The young soprano is set for more important debuts in the 2023-24 season, including role and house debuts with Chicago Opera Theater, Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, and Haymarket Opera, among others. On the concert stage, notable upcoming and recent engagements include Handel’s Messiah with Apollo Chorus & Orchestra and Billings Symphony Orchestra, Bach’s Johannes-Passion with Columbus Symphony and Elmhurst Symphony, and Handel’s Dixit Dominus with the Elgin Master Chorale & Symphony.
De Priest’s “glittering, easy soprano” (Merkur) is equally at home on the opera stage and in chamber music and she is especially renowned for her “masterful” (Olyrix) singing of Baroque repertoire. Her critically-acclaimed debut performing French baroque cantatas with Les Délices was hailed as “sensational” (Schmopera) and more engagements with the renowned ensemble have followed, including the ensemble’s debut concert at the Boston Early Music Festival. Other recent engagements include concerts with The Newberry Consort, Madison Bach Musicians, and many collaborative projects with Ars Musica Chicago. With pianist Michael Pecak, she performs song repertoire that spans centuries. Upcoming projects include an expanded program of Mozart and Beethoven works written for 18th-cent. Czech soprano Josepha Duschek, songs inspired by Shakespeare, and a recital of French and Russian songs.
De Priest has garnered attention at numerous important competitions, recently winning 2nd Prize at the 2021 International Cesti Competition for Baroque Singing. She has been a finalist in The Handel Aria Competition (2021), Le Concours Corneille (2019), Audrey Rooney Bach Competition (2020), and the Bethlehem Bach Competition (2021). She is also a laureate of the prestigious Luminarts Cultural Foundation’s competition’s Encouragement Award (2022).