Ailyn Pérez Sang Three 2017-2018 Met Opera Season Lead Roles

Summary: American operatic soprano Ailyn Pérez sang three 2017-2018 Met Opera season lead roles, as Massenet’s Thaïs, Mozart’s Countess Almaviva and Tosca and Gounod’s Juliette.

Ailyn Pérez appeared in her second 2017-2018 Met Opera season role debut as Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s opera about the topsy-turvy Almaviva household: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Jan. 7, 2018

American operatic soprano Ailyn Pérez sang three 2017-2018 Met Opera season lead roles, appearing as Jules Massenet’s Thaïs, Wolfgang Mozart’s Countess Almaviva and Charles-François Gounod’s Juliette.

Ailyn Pérez’s first 2017-2018 Met Opera season lead role occurred in Thaïs by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912). Her performance in the title role comprised her Met Opera role debut as the spiritually transformed, Alexandrian courtesan.

Opening night Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, marked the Metropolitan Opera’s 74 performance of Massenet’s opera about monk Athanaël’s sensual fixation and courtesan Thaïs’ spiritual transformation. Ailyn Pérez sang the title role in all seven of the 2017-2018 Met Opera season’s performances, including both November’s opening night and closing night Saturday, Dec. 2.

Ailyn Pérez’s Met Opera role debut as Thaïs occurred in the 2017-2018 Met Opera season’s revival of staging by John Cox. The English opera director’s staging debuted Dec. 8, 2008, as a new production in the Metropolitan Opera’s 64th performance of Thaïs.

Ailyn Pérez’s second 2017-2018 Met Opera lead role took place in Le Nozze di Figaro by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791). Her appearances in Mozart’s comedy of manners comprised the American operatic soprano’s Met Opera role debut as Countess Almaviva.

Opening night Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, marked the Metropolitan Opera’s 483rd performance of Le Nozze di Figaro. Ailyn Pérez appeared in four of the 2017-2018 Met Opera season’s 11 performances. Her appearances included Friday, Dec. 29, the opera’s last 2017 performance, and the first three of January 2018’s four performances.

Ailyn Pérez shared the role with Rachel Willis-Sørensen and Caitlin Lynch. Rachel Willis-Sørensen appeared as the forgiving countess in December’s first seven performances, including opening night. Caitlin Lynch performed as the loving countess for closing night Friday, Jan. 19.

Ailyn Pérez’s Met Opera role debut as Countess Almaviva occurred in the Metropolitan Opera’s revival of Sir Richard Eyre’s 2014-2015 new staging. The English film, opera, television and theatre director’s new production debuted Sept. 22, 2014, during the Metropolitan Opera’s 459th performance of Mozart’s opera about new and old marriages.

Ailyn Pérez’s third 2017-2018 Met Opera season lead role happened in Roméo et Juliette by 19th century French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893). Her performance in the title role comprised her third 2017-2018 Met Opera season role debut.

Opening night Monday, April 23, 2018, marked the Metropolitan Opera’s 344th performance of Gounod’s Shakespeare-based tragedy of young love sacrificed by family feuds. The American operatic soprano sang the title role for all six performances, including April’s opening night and closing night Saturday, May 12.

Ailyn Pérez’s Met Opera role debut as star-crossed Juliette occurred in the 2017-2018 Met Opera season’s revival of Bartlett Sher’s staging. The American theatre director’s staging debuted Dec. 31, 2016, as a new production during the Metropolitan Opera’s 330th performance of Roméo et Juliette.

In her three 2017-2018 Met Opera season lead roles, Ailyn Pérez performed with three different conductors. For Thaïs, French conductor Emmanuel Villaume conducted all seven performances. For Le Nozze di Figaro, British conductor, harpsichordist and organist Harry Bicket conducted all 11 performances. For Roméo et Juliette, Spanish baritone/tenor and conductor Plácido Domingo conducted all six performances.

Ailyn Pérez’s birthplace is Chicago, Cook County, northeastern Illinois. She debuted Feb. 6, 2015, as Micaela in the Metropolitan Opera’s 994th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

The takeaway for Ailyn Pérez’s singing three 2017-2018 Met Opera season lead roles is her appearances as Massenet’s Thaïs, Mozart’s Countess Almaviva and Gounod’s Juliette all mark Met Opera role debuts for the operatic Mexican-Chicagoan.

Mexican-American operatic soprano Ailyn Pérez sang her third 2017-2018 Met Opera season debut role in the title role of Roméo et Juliette by 19th century French composer Charles-François Gounod: AILYN PÉREZ @AilynPerez1, via Twitter April 4, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Ailyn Pérez appeared in her second 2017-2018 Met Opera season role debut as Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s opera about the topsy-turvy Almaviva household: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Jan. 7, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.10154845086800533.1073741840.20807115532/10159958746020533/

Mexican-American operatic soprano Ailyn Pérez sang her third 2017-2018 Met Opera season debut role in the title role of Roméo et Juliette by 19th century French composer Charles-François Gounod: AILYN PÉREZ @AilynPerez1, via Twitter April 4, 2018, @ https://twitter.com/AilynPerez1/status/981533909136572417

For further information:

AILYN PÉREZ ‏@AilynPerez1. “Chatting with our living legend Maestro @PlacidoDomingo who conducts our Roméo & Juliette at @metopera. He always works from the heart, devoting his time and energy on bringing opera to life with expressivity and abandon!” Twitter. April 4, 2018.
Available @ https://twitter.com/AilynPerez1/status/981533909136572417

“Debuts: Ailyn Pérez, Gábor Bretz.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355797 Carmen {994} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/06/2015.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355797

Marriner, Derdriu. “2017-2018 Metropolitan Opera Season Offers Five New Productions.” Earth and Space News. Monday, June 26, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/06/2017-2018-metropolitan-opera-season.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Thaïs Is Jan. 20, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Jan. 15, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/01/thais-is-jan-20-2018-met-opera-saturday.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Le Nozze di Figaro Is Dec. 23, 2017, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Dec. 18, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/12/le-nozze-di-figaro-is-dec-23-2017-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Roméo et Juliette Is May 5, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, April 30, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/04/romeo-et-juliette-is-may-5-2018-met.html

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “It's one topsy-turvy day at the Almaviva household as everyone prepares for the wedding of Susanna and Figaro. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro stars Nadine Sierra, AILYN PÉREZ, Isabel Leonard, Ildar Abdrazakov, and Mariusz Kwiecień through January 19. Photos by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.” Twitter. Jan. 7, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.10154845086800533.1073741840.20807115532/10159958746020533/