“We saved the radiant soprano of the Australian Eleanor Lyons for last, whose vocal means are reminiscent of those of Gundula Janowitz in her prime. A straight and powerful voice that is capable of the most delicate nuances and whose heights seem unlimited”
With a luminous voice and virtuosic technique, she moves effortlessly from the most dramatic, powerful outbursts to the subtlest, delicate pianissimi, bringing every phrase to life. Equally at home on stage, Eleanor passionately shapes every detail of opera, orchestral concerts, chamber music, and solo recitals. Her deep affinity for Beethoven and Mahler has led to acclaimed performances and enduring collaborations with leading orchestras and conductors, creating experiences that resonate with audiences worldwide.
“The highlight is Australian soprano Eleanor Lyons, who starred as fragile-as-crystal Mimi in Hungarian State Opera’s strikingly beautiful Christmas run of ”La Bohème”. It is worth attending “The Rake’s Progress” just to hear this captivating singer.”
“Kaum fassbares Stimmwunder in der Elbphilharmonie: Vor allem die beiden Frauenstimmen sind eine Wucht. Die französische Mezzosopranistin Eva Zaïcik verströmt eine betörende Wärme, und die junge australische Sopranistin Eleanor Lyons überstrahlt alles.
Mit einem sinnlich leuchtenden Timbre, das auch im Pianissimo noch seinen edlen Schimmer bewahrt. Ihr scheint das Stück überhaupt keine Mühe zu machen, sie singt die krasse Partie geschmeidig und einfach hinreißend. Eine Riesen-Entdeckung. Wohlige Schauer garantiert.”
“Simone Young Conducts Beethoven’s Fidelio: Eleanor Lyons’ wide vocal range served her well as she traversed the aria’s tessitura, pitching perfectly as she travelled up and down the scales at breakneck speed, before ending in harmony with the horns during the final stretta. She rightfully brought the house down.”
“Dass ihm trotzdem ein dichtes Gesamtergebnis gelingt, verdankt sich der Emphase dem überragenden Solistenquartett, das mit mustergültigem Ensemblegeist und pointiertem Ausdruck singt, überstrahlt von Eleanor Lyons seraphisch blühendem Sopran. Diesen Namen sollte man sich merken. Großer Applaus.”
She is in high demand on major international concert stages: Britten’s War Requiem with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra; she is also among the female soloists regularly invited to perform Verdi’s Requiem. Other important engagements include Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Iván Fischer, Mahler’s Fourth Symphony and Berio’s Folk Songs with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin and Mahler’s Das klagende Lied with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Simone Young. Last season she toured Mahler’s Eighth symphony with the Tonkünstler Orchestra in under Yutaka Sado which was also recorded by Naxos.
She enjoys a close artistic collaboration with Philippe Herreweghe and the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, with whom she has toured extensively performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Christus am Ölberge, and the Missa solemnis.
Further notable appearances include Mahler’s Second Symphony with the Orchestre de Monte-Carlo, Teatro Regio Torino, and the Budapest Festival Orchestra; Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra; Britten’s Les Illuminations with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie; Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin; Poulenc’s Stabat Mater with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Erich Zeisl’s Requiem Ebraico in Vienna with the RSO Wien under Marin Alsop.
On the operatic stage fhe made her recent debut at the Semperoper Dresden as Leonore (Fidelio) under the baton of David Afkham, which she will reprise there in 2027. Among her early operatic engagements were Anne Truelove (The Rake’s Progress) and Mimì (La bohème) at the Hungarian State Opera, Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) for Opera Australia, as well as appearances at the Vlaamse Opera as Mimì and Gretchen (Szenen aus Goethes Faust).
The Australian soprano studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before joining the Mariinsky Academy for Young Opera Singers in St Petersburg and continuing her training at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. She is a recipient of the Vienna State Opera Award from the Australian Opera Foundation.
