OLIVIA VOTE
MEZZO-SOPRANO
BIOGRAPHY
Praised for her “theatrical magnetism,” American mezzo-soprano Olivia Vote has earned acclaim for her compelling stage presence and vocal depth across leading opera houses and concert halls. Since joining the Metropolitan Opera roster in 2018, she has performed a diverse range of roles, including Neris in Medea, Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, Neferneferuaten in the Grammy Award-winning recording of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten, as well as covering the roles of Charlotte in Werther and Waltraute in Die Walküre.
Last season, Ms. Vote returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Zweite Dame in Simon McBurney's Die Zauberflöte, performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, and appeared in Verdi’s Requiem with both the Key Chorale Symphonic Chorus and the New Mexico Symphonic Chorus in collaboration with Opera Southwest. She also made her début with The Cleveland Orchestra as the Mayor’s Wife in Jenůfa under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst.
This season, Ms. Vote’s engagements include Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte in a return to Sarasota Opera, her début as Amneris in Aida in a return to Opera Southwest, and Second Norn in Gotterdammerung in a return to Atlanta Opera. Future repertoire includes Brangäne in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Azucena in Verdi’s Il Trovatore, Eboli in Don Carlos, Frika in Die Walküre, Jezibaba in Rusalka, and Herodias in Salome.
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Recent highlights include two major European débuts: singing the title role in Carmen at Staatstheater Mainz and appearing with Lithuanian National Opera as the Muse and Nicklausse in Les contes d’Hoffmann, along with her role début as Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier. She returned to Atlanta Opera as Maddalena in Rigoletto and rejoined the Met in Die Zauberflöte conducted by Natalie Stutzmann. Other notable engagements include performances with the Las Vegas Symphony, Cedar Rapids Opera, and a workshop of Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s The Righteous for Santa Fe Opera.
In previous seasons, Ms. Vote made multiple house débuts including Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos with Cincinnati Opera, Maddalena in Rigoletto with Florentine Opera and North Carolina Opera, Mary in The Flying Dutchman with Atlanta Opera in a new production by Tomer Zvulun, Mère Marie in the Dialogues des Carmélites with Sarasota Opera, Adalgisa in Norma with Opera Southwest, and Nicklausse in Les contes d'Hoffmann with Hawaii Opera Theater. On the concert stage, she has been heard in Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody with Washington Choral Arts in D.C. and in Durufle’s Requiem at The Kennedy Center. In a chamber setting, Olivia has joined the world-renowned Hugo Wolf Quartet from Vienna and performed Respighi's Il Tramonto and selections from Wolf's Italienisches Liederbuch in Massachusetts and New York.
Ms. Vote returned to Opernhaus Zürich to sing Dryade in Ariadne auf Naxos with Fabio Luisi and Flora in a new production of La traviata under Maestro Armiliato. She first came to Switzerland from 2012-2014 for the Internationales Opernstudio at Opernhaus Zürich. Highlights of her time in the Opernstudio included appearing as Fidalma in Il Matrimonio Segreto, Philomene in Martinů's Zweimal Alexandre, and a soloist Hans Neuenfels's new production Wie ich Welt wurde, a co-production with the Schauspielhaus Zürich about the life of Richard Wagner. In addition, she performed roles in Rinaldo, La traviata, Meistersinger, Salome, and Rigoletto and covered roles in Madame Butterfly, Alcina, La straniera, and Falstaff.
Passionate about new works, Ms. Vote has enjoyed working with Santa Fe Opera and Opera Philadelphia on the premiere of Jennifer Higdon's Cold Mountain. Also with Santa Fe Opera, she participated in the workshop of the premiere of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs by Mason Bates and Mark Campbell in San Francisco. She sang the role of his wife, Laurene Powell. While at the Academy of Vocal Arts Ms. Vote co-created the title role of Hester Pryne in The Scarlet Letter by Margaret Garwood and premiered the work Colors Passing Through Us by teacher and composer David Froom. Ms. Vote completed her musical studies at Yale University, North Carolina School for the Arts, and the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
Current as of June 5, 2025
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"Among the supporting cast members, the trio of Alexandria Shiner, Olivia Vote and Tamara Mumford were fantastic as the Three Ladies." – OperaWire
The Magic Flute – “Among the supporting cast members, the trio of Alexandria Shiner, Olivia Vote and Tamara Mumford were fantastic as the Three Ladies. Allowed greater freedom in crafting the characters, we could feel their passion, their aggression, even their fear throughout their initial encounter with the sleeping Tamino. Always playing off one another, they brought different colors and rawness and at different moments, each singer was allowed to stand out amongst the trio.”
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"Vote’s heartfelt aria...was filled with passion and soared effortlessly..." – Cincinnati Business Courier
Ariadne auf Naxos – “In her company debut, mezzo-soprano Olivia Vote was excellent as the bespectacled Composer, who was the picture of frustration and despair at having his work destroyed by a bunch of silly comedians. Vote’s heartfelt aria in praise of music – “Musik ist eine heilige Kunst” (“Music is a holy art”) – was filled with passion and soared effortlessly over the lush orchestra. One of Ben Seadia’s touches included having the Composer remain on the stage as an observer during the Opera, which emphasized his infatuation with Zerbinetta.”
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"Olivia Vote...supplied a pleasing, natural mezzo..." – CVNC
Rigoletto – “Olivia Vote as his sister and accomplice, Maddalena, supplied a pleasing, natural mezzo, not overplaying the vamp element so often applied to the role."
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"Vote's voice shimmered with power..." – Washington Classical Review
Alto Rhapsody – “This was the undisputed high point of the evening because of the soloist, mezzo-soprano Olivia Vote, whose voice has grown in richness since her striking Choral Arts in 2018. The Choral Arts Orchestra sounded its best in this darkly hued work, and Vote’s voice shimmered with power across its wide compass, easily outgunning the amassed forces.”