Full Biography
Svetlina Stoyanova is a Bulgarian mezzo-soprano whose expressive artistry, radiant voice, and captivating stage presence have earned her widespread acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Praised for her “warm, resonant timbre” (Opera Gazet), Stoyanova has graced some of the world’s most renowned opera houses, including the Vienna State Opera, Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Hamburg State Opera, Opernhaus Zürich, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and the Bolshoi Theatre.
In the 2026/27 season, Stoyanova makes her debut at the Beijing Music Festival, performing Sesto in Handel’s Giulio Cesare with the China Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Laurence Cumings. She returns to the Glyndebourne Festival as Angelina in a new production of Rossini’s La Cenerentola, directed by Max Webster and conducted by Enrique Mazzola. She also appears as Carmen at the Sofia Opera and Ballet. On the concert stage, she performs Mendelssohn’s Elijah at the Philharmonie de Paris, Mozart’s Coronation Mass at Madrid’s Auditorio Nacional de Música with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España (OCNE) and Giovanni Antonini, and Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire. Further engagements include an appearance at the Apollonia Festival of Arts in Sozopol, as well as performances in the Rossini Gala and the New Year’s Gala at the Sofia Opera and Ballet.
Stoyanova’s international breakthrough came in 2016 with third prize at Le Grand Prix de l’Opéra in Bucharest. In 2017, she won first prize at Neue Stimmen, launching engagements at major European opera houses. As a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, she performed roles including Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, Lola in Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro. In 2021, she made her debuts at the Bolshoi Theatre as Rosina, at the Sofia Opera and Ballet as Angelina in La Cenerentola, and at Teatro alla Scala as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, later returning to the Milanese house as Rosina in Leo Muscato’s new production of Il barbiere di Siviglia. In 2022, she made her role debut as Ruggiero in Handel’s Alcina at the Glyndebourne Festival, sang Ganymed in Suppé’s Die schöne Galathee with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester under Ivan Repušić, Beppe in Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and Marguerite in Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust with the Filarmonica Arad and Filarmonica Banatul Timișoara under Sascha Goetzel. In 2023, she made her role debut as Stéphano in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at Opernhaus Zürich. In 2025, she debuted the role as Komponist in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos at Teatr Wielki.
Recent highlights include her return to Opernhaus Zürich as Hänsel in a new production of Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, as well as her return to Teatro alla Scala, where she sang Wellgunde in David McVicar’s new production of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung as well as Das Rheingold. Also in the 2025/26 season, she made her highly anticipated house debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, as Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.
As a concert soloist, Stoyanova has appeared at prestigious venues and festivals including the Musikverein Vienna, Wigmore Hall London, the Sofia Music Weeks International Festival, the Bregenz Festival, and the Rossini Opera Festival. Her concert repertoire includes major works such as Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Beethoven’s Mass in C major, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and Rückert-Lieder, Mozart’s Requiem, Rossini’s Messa di Milano and Petite messe solennelle, and Dvořák’s Mass in D major. Recent concert highlights include Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder under Sascha Goetzel at Kioi Hall, Tokyo.
Her artistic contributions have been recognized with several honors, including inclusion in Forbes Bulgaria’s “30 Under 30” list in 2019, the Daniel Froschauer Award, the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and a certificate from the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture for her role in promoting Bulgarian culture internationally.
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Stoyanova began her musical journey as a soloist with the Children’s Choir of the Bulgarian National Radio, where she performed for nine years. She initially pursued psychology at the University of Glasgow before following her passion for music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she studied with Clare Shearer. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree with honors before completing two Master’s degrees in Vocal Performance and Opera.
