sonoartists

2019/20 marks mezzo-soprano Aytaj Shikhalizada's first season as a member of the opera studio at the Staatsoper Berlin. Before starting in Berlin, she sang the role of Olga in a new Jan Eßinger production of Eugene Onegin at the Bregenz Festival in summer 2019, and is due to reprise the same role for her house debut at the Staatstheater Klagenfurt in December 2019. In early 2020, Aytaj travels to the New National Theater Tokyo for her house and role debut singing the lead role in Handel's Giulio Cesare.

The up-and-coming mezzo was an ensemble member at the Theater Dortmund in 2018/19 and made her house and role debut as Rosina in a new production of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia in October 2018. Other roles last season included Nefertiti in a new Theater Dortmund production of Philip Glass's Akhnaten and Linetta in a new production of Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges at the Stuttgart State Opera.

The 24-year-old Azerbaijani made her professional European debut in June 2018, when she debuted the role of Isabella in Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri at the Opera Royal de Versailles in a concert performance conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi. She is also under contract with Azerbaijani TV and Radio, and regularly appears in her native country on TV and on the concert platform.

The young mezzo-soprano pursued Master's studies in singing with the renowned Professor Claudia Visca at the University of Music and the Performing Arts Vienna. In Vienna, she performed the title role of Handel’s Oreste in January 2018, and previously appeared at the Schlosstheater Schonbrünn as Olga in Eugene Onegin, and at the Penzing Institute with scenes from Carmen as well as Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther. For her studies in Vienna, she was the recipient of a scholarship from the Dr. Robert and Lina Thyll-Dürr Foundation.

Aytaj studied voice and piano at the Baku Music Academy from 2010 to 2014 and Bülbil Music School, and received a Young Performers Diploma with Honors. She is also the recipient of many prizes including bronze medal for 3rd place at the 2014 Muslim Magomayev International Vocal Competition in Moscow, Grand Prix at the IX Azerbaijan Republic Contest ‘’Springs of the Soul’’ in 2013, and the 'Hope Prize' at the 2012 Bulbul International Vocalists Competition. In 2017, she also competed in the Bertelsmann Neue Stimmen Singing Competition in Gütersloh, Germany.