Biography
Lyric soprano, Lylis O’Hara, was born in Cardiff and raised in the idyllic isle of Jersey. Named after the Celtic lily, she remains proud of her Welsh heritage whilst thinking of London as home.
Lylis began her musical education at Chetham’s School of Music, the United Kingdom’s leading specialist music school. From there she attended the United Kingdom’s oldest conservatoire, The Royal Academy of Music. In 2019 Lylis graduated as a Bachelor of Music with first class honours. As an undergraduate, she was a recipient of the John Lobb Trust Award and the Olive Brown Bursary. Lylis continued to study at The Royal Academy for her Master of Arts in Performance in which she obtained a distinction. During her studies at The Royal Academy of Music, Lylis was a member of the prestigious Academy Song Circle and the Academy Voices. Moreover, in 2020 she was recipient of The Douglas Samuel and Birdie Matthew’s Award and The Eldee Scholarship award. Lylis then went on to study at the global number one institution for performing arts, The Royal College of Music, in its renowned Opera Studio for her Artist Diploma. She was the Stephen Catto Memorial Scholar supported by the Basil Coleman Opera Award, in addition to being named as Music in Action’s Young Artist for 2022-23.
Highlights of Lylis’ career include performances with Diva Opera at the Domaine des Vaux Jersey opera festival, in addition to ‘Jenny Lind’ in Barnum’s Bird by Libby Larsen directed by Ella Marchment, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ from Ottorino Respighi’s La bella dormente nel bosco directed by Liam Steel, ‘Diana’ from Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach directed by Louise Bakker, ‘Tina’ from Jonathan Dove’s Flight directed by Jeremy Sams, ‘Mutter’ from Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck directed by Stephen Barlow and ‘First lady’ from Die Zauberflote by W.A. Mozart directed by Polly Graham at The Britten Theatre with the Royal College of Music Opera Studio. She has additionally participated in masterclasses with Angela Gheorghiu, Ann Murray DBE, Lucy Crowe and Susan Bullock. Lylis has had countless performance opportunities across a diverse range of vocal genres and settings during her studies, which include being coached in song repertoire by Joseph Middleton, James Baillieu, Richard Stokes and Christian Gerhaher, and working under the batons of Esa-Pekka Salonen, Semyon Bychkov, Sir Mark Elder and Jaq Van Steen. She recently performed ‘Four Shakespeare Songs’ by Cecilia McDowall with The Jersey Chamber Orchestra conducted by Eamonn Dougan.
