Proving himself a formidable talent and a rising star to watch in the opera world, Tenor Yi Li is quickly gaining attention across the globe. Recently, Mr. Li débuted the role of Cheng Quing in Meredith Monk’s ATLAS with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and moved into bigger repertoire — débuting the role of Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West in Maryland Lyric Opera’s inaugural season. He subsequently returned there as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor and Turridu/Luigi in Il tabarro/ Cavalleria rusticana, as well as to The Metropolitan Opera as the Young Lover in Il tabarro.

Last season, Mr. Li returned to Opera Tampa as Rodolfo in La bohème and he reprised his Fenton in Falstaff for his house début with Portland Opera. This season he makes his Opera Orlando début as Rodolfo. Recently, he joined Hawaii Opera Theatre to reprise his Rodolfo and to sing Canio in Pagliacci; he also reprised Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion with the National Academy of Saint Cecilia in Rome. He returned to Maryland Lyric Opera as Fenton in Falstaff and Cassio in Otello, he performed Buddha Passion with the Seattle Symphony, he rejoined the China Now Music Festival in partnership with Bard College, he sang Handel’s Messiah with the Naples Philharmonic, and he sang Luigi in Il tabarro with On Site Opera.

Other operatic engagements include a return to Maryland Lyric Opera for Turandot – singing Pang and covering Calaf; joining the China Now Music Festival as Danny in An American Soldier; a house début at Opera Tampa as Turridu in Cavalleria rusticana; the role of Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles with Toledo Opera; Nicias in Thaïs with China National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Opera Montana, Nashville Opera, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Cassio in Otello at The National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing; Alfredo in La traviata with Finger Lakes Opera; and his performance in Huang Ruo’s innovative contemporary opera, Paradise Interrupted. Mr. Li has also joined the esteemed roster of The Metropolitan Opera for productions of Manon Lescaut, Roméo et Juliette, and Der fliegende Holländer. 

Concert engagements include Angel Island Oratorio at the Santa Fe Opera, the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Jackson Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Canterbury Chorale at Carnegie Hall, Indianapolis Opera’s Rising Stars Concert, and a Chinese New Year Concert with Shenzen Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center. 

Mr. Li is an alum of Washington National Opera’s revered Cafritz Young Artist Program, where his assignments included Rodolfo in La bohème and productions of Die Zauberflöte and Dialogues des Carmélites. At San Francisco Opera’s world-renowned Merola Opera Program, assignments included Belfiore in La finta giardiniera, Smith in Bizet’s La jolie fille de Perth, and Lionel in Martha. 

Mr. Li’s training includes an Artist Diploma in Voice from University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he performed Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, and Ruggero in La rondine. During his time there, he also performed the Duke in Rigoletto at Cincinnati Opera and Don José in Carmen at the CCM Spoleto Festival. He also holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Sichuan Conservatory in China, where performances include Alfredo in La traviata, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Rodolfo in La bohème, and Cavaradossi in Tosca.

Finding success on the emerging artist competition circuit, Yi Li’s talent has been recognized by several elite foundations and organizations. Mr. Li was a Grand Final Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, a finalist at Operalia: The World Opera Competition, Winner of the Sullivan Musical Foundation Award, China’s representative at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, 3rd Prize at the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition, Finalist in the 49th International Singing Competition of Toulouse, and he won the Grand Prize in the Opera Columbus Irma M. Cooper Vocal Competition and CCM’s Corbett Scholarship Competition. He also received a grant from Giulio Gari Foundation and performed at their annual gala.

Current as of June 1, 2025