Taylor Raven is a “vocal sensation” (Washington Classical Review) and quickly establishing herself in opera, concert, and recital. Ms. Raven began the 22/23 season with her debut at the San Francisco Opera for a trio of operas including the world premiere of John Adams’ new opera Antony and Cleopatra (Charmian), Dialogues des Carmélites (Sister Mathilde) and La traviata (Flora). Other highlights this season include debuts with Kentucky Opera in La Cenerentola (Angelina) and Chicago Opera Theater in The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing (Joan Clarke). She looks forward to her return to Des Moines Metro Opera for her role debut as Carmen in Bizet’s Carmen. On the concert stage, she will make her debut with The Cleveland Orchestra in La fanciulla del West (Wowkle) conducted by Franz Welser-Möst and return to the Memphis Symphony to perform Handel’s Messiah. Highlights from the upcoming 2023-24 season include returns to San Francisco Opera as Fatima/Omar’s Mother in Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’ Omar and to Seattle Opera as Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
In the 2021-2022 season, Taylor made many debuts on the opera and concert stage. She made her house debut with Houston Grand Opera as Dritte Dame in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and a role/house debut with North Carolina Opera in Paul Moravec’s Sanctuary Road as Clarissa Davis. Taylor made a role/house debut as Mallika in Delibes’ Lakmé with Washington Concert Opera. She performed as the alto soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Dallas Symphony under conductor Fabio Luisi, Baltimore Symphony under conductor Marin Alsop and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under conductor Gustavo Dudamel. She returned to the American Symphony Orchestra, performing as the alto soloist in Alophons Diepenbrock’s Hymne an die Nacht. Additional engagements included the world premiere of a Shawn Okpebholo’s Unknown commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with Urban Arias and a return to the roster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Past engagements include debuts with Des Moines Metro Opera in Pique Dame (Pauline), Finger Lakes Opera in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina), and Handel & Haydn Society for Beethoven Symphony No. 9 conducted by Marin Alsop. A graduate of the Young Artist Program at LA Opera where she was seen in La clemenza di Tito (Annio), Don Carlo (Tebaldo), the Kosky production of Die Zauberflöte (Zweite Dame) conducted by James Colon, and Hansel and Gretel (Sandman). As a Filene Artist at Wolf Trap Opera she performed in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina) and L'heure espagnole (Concepción). On the concert stage she made her Alice Tully Hall debut appearing with the American Symphony Orchestra for a concert of Bach arias conducted by Leon Botstein.
In 2018-2019 Taylor made her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut as a soloist in the Hollywood Bowl performance of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. She appeared with the New West Symphony in Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky and made her Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra debut as a soloist in Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied as a part of their May Festival. In 2017-18 Taylor performed with Wolf Trap Opera and the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, making a Naxos Classical recording of Bernstein’s Songfest. She won 1st prize in the 2018 Loren L. Zachary competition and is a recipient of a 2017 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation.