Overview
Biography
Hailed by The New York Times as "a beautifully plush voice and elegant musicianship.... tasteful and deeply moving." Tenor Mingjie Lei, a native of Hengyang, China, is rapidly gaining acclaim in the United States and Europe. a recent graduate of Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, he is a Prize Winner of the Prestigious Neue Stimmen International Vocal Competition 2017 and the ARD international music competition 2018.
The 2018-2019 season, he is joining the ensemble of Staatsoper Stuttgart, in productions of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Don Pasquale, Der Prinz vom Humburg, Così Fan Tutte, Ariadne auf Naxos, Iphigenie en Tauride. he also makes his debut with Köln Philharmonie under the direction of Maestro Cornelius Meister and as a soloist in the LiedKonzert with International HUGO WOLF ACADEMIE.
The 2017 - 2018 season, he is making debuts with the Salzburg Festival in the production of LUCREZIA BORGIA under the direction of Maestro Marco Amarliato, Fenton in Opera Colorado's production of FALSTAFF, and Egeo in Teatro Nuovo's inaugural season production of MEDEA IN CORINTO, as well as a concert tour in China with the YOUNG SINGERS PROJECT IN SALZBURG FESTIVAL and SHANGHAI HANTANG CULTURE.
The 2016- 2017 season, a second year Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center member, he returns to the program after spending much the summer participating in the Salzburg Festival's prestigious Young Singers Project, where he was featured in the production of Purcell's The Fairy Queen, as well as a soloist in concerts with Camerata Salzburg and Mozarteum Orchestra, he was invited to performed with Ravello Festival in Italy in the New Voice of Opera concert. This season he will be seen on the stage of Lyric Opera of Chicago in the Productions of Berlioz's Les Troyens as Iopas and Bizet's Carmen as Remendado, as well as a special performance by celebrating Plácido Domingo in Verdi's La Traviata as Gastone.
The 2015-2016 season, he joined the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center Ensemble of Lyric Opera of Chicago, and soon will be singing on Lyric Stage in the productions of Der Rosenkavalier and Romeo et Juliette, as well as covering the role of Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola and role of Gen Watanabe in the World Premiere Bel Canto, he will be returning to Carnegie Hall in NYC to sing the tenor soloist in Handel's Messiah under Maestro Kent Tritle, also he will be part of the Beyond the arias series with Chicago Harris Theater with Pianist Craig Terry.
Highlights of past seasons includes his Carnegie Hall debut (2013) singing Handel's Messiah with Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra of New York, Conte di Lerma and Un Araldo Reale in Verdi's Don Carlo with Opera Philadelphia, Romeo (excerpts) from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and as tenor soloist in Handel's Messiah with Oratorio Society of New York under direction of Kent Tritle in Carnegie Hall (2014), he also appear with the New York Festival of Song performing with Composer Bright Sheng. he attended the Mozart Residency of Festival Aix-en-Provence in France at the past summer and received the Prix des amis for the best Mozart performance. he sang Nemorino in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, Don Ramiro in Rossini's La Cenerentola, Almeric in Tchaikovsky's Iolanta, Dorvil in Rossini's La Scala di seta, Brighella in Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos with Curtis Opera Theater, Young Collector in Pervin's A Streetcar named Desire and Jupiter in Handel's Semele in Schwabacher Summer Concert with Merola Opera Program with San Francisco Opera, he sung as Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni with Banff Music Festival in Canada, and covered Tamino in Mozart's Die Zauberflote, Ernesto in Donizetti's Don Pasquale ( excerpts) and as the tenor soloist in Stravinsky's Pucilnella with Music Academy of the West under the direction of Marilyn Horne and Warren Jones. Leon in Corgliano's the Ghosts of Versailles at Manhattan School of Music and Arturo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with Thomas Muraco's Opera Repertoire Ensemble, he sung as Uriel in Haydn's Die Schopfung (The Creation) with Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Kent Tritle.
Mingjie Holds a Bachelor of Music from Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, a Master of Music in Voice from Manhattan School of Music in New York City, an Artist Diploma in Opera from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. he has received awards from Opera Index Inc., Gerda Lissner Foundation, Mario Lanza Institute, Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, Giulio Gari Foundation andKurt Weill Foundation.
