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Recent highlights include a series of debuts, including her role debut as Cherubino in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at Chicago Lyric Opera, a house and role debut as Wellgunde in Wagner's Das Rheingold a house debut for Welsh National Opera as Dorabella in Mozart's Così fan tutte and a return to Cincinnati Opera for staged performances of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio.
Elsewhere Decker has sung Dorabella in Così fan tutte for Dallas Opera, Ruggiero Handel's Alcina with Les Violons du Roy conducted by Jonathan Cohen, her role debut as Isolier in Rossini's Le Comte Ory for Lyric Opera Chicago, described as “The finest overall performance of the afternoon” by the Chicago Classical Review, as well as covering Angelina in Rossini's La Cenerentola for Boston Lyric Opera & Cherubino in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at The Metropolitan Opera.
Highlights on the concert platform include Handel's Messiah with Seattle Symphony Orchestra cond. Aram Demirjian and with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment cond. Mogens Dahl, Stravinsky's Les Noces with the San Francisco Symphony and Orchestre de Paris conducted by Esa Pekka Salonen, Mozart's Requiem with the orchestra of Welsh National Opera conducted by Tomáš Hanus, Ethel Smyth's Mass in D at Washington National Cathedral, Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Cincinnati College Music and at Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Colburn School cond. Earl Lee, and Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with the Grant Park Music Festival.
As an ensemble member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Kayleigh’s roles included her debut as Second Cretan Woman in Mozart's Idomeneo, Kate Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly and a number of notable cover roles, including Le Prince Charmant in Massenet's Cendrillon, Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Laura in Verdis Luisa Miller and Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni conducted by James Gaffigan.
A passionate song interpreter, she was named one of Caramoor’s 2018 Schwab Vocal Rising Stars and was a participant in the inaugural season of Renée Fleming’s SongStudio at Carnegie Hall. She has given recitals produced by the Cincinnati Song Initiative, Pelican Hill recital series, the SOKA Performing Arts Center for Mahler's Ruckert Lieder, and taken part in the ‘Beyond the Aria’ recital series at the Harris Theater, Chicago.
In 2019, Kayleigh was the recipient of three prestigious scholarships: the Luminarts Fellowship, first place in the Musicians Club of Women Scholarship Competition, and a Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation. Further accolades include first place in the Three Arts Scholarship Fund Competition and The Macdowell Society Scholarship Award in Cincinnati, second place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions-Great Lakes Region, first place in the CCM Corbett Competition, and the Encouragement award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions-Cincinnati District in 2016.
Kayleigh was a young artist at the Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Utah Festival Opera. Other training programs include the Houston Grand Opera Young Artists Vocal Academy, and Oberlin in Italy. She also participated in the first of Joyce DiDonato’s Masterclass Series at Carnegie Hall, streamed live on Medici.tv.
2025/26 season / 606 words. Not to be altered without permission