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Kayleigh Tolley is a Boston-based mezzo-soprano, hailing from Midcoast Maine. This spring, she made her role debut as Dorabella in Boston Conservatory’s production of Così fan tutte, directed by David Gately and conducted by Andrew Bisantz. She most recently performed in the ensemble of Boston Conservatory’s double-bill production of Britten’s Riders to the Sea and Jodi Goble’s Whaling Women, in which she covered the role of Susan Veeder. This summer, she will be performing as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Prague Summer Nights Festival in Vienna, Austria. Kayleigh is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Opera Performance at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, as the Jost J. and Reine C. Fleck Opera Scholar. She is training under the tutelage of Dr. Rebecca Folsom.

Last summer, she portrayed Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel with Chicago Summer Opera, after graduating from Oberlin Conservatory, where she performed as Nancy in Britten’s Albert Herring, under the direction of Stephanie Harvey and conductor Michael Sakir, and Fidalma in Il matrimonio segreto, directed by Jonathon Field and conducted by Christopher Larsen. Kayleigh spent two summers at Bel Canto in Tuscany, playing La Zelatrice in Suor Angelica as a Young Artist, and returning as an Emerging Artist to perform in recitals throughout Tuscany, working closely with Giovanni Reggioli. She spent summer 2023 as a Young Artist at Songfest, performing in multiple curated recitals and masterclasses lead by Roger Vignoles and Martin Katz. 

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Passionate about new music, Kayleigh originated the role of Zandra in Melissa Dunphy’s Alice Tierney, participating in a three year process of libretto and music workshops with librettist Jacqueline Goldfinger and director Christopher Mirto, leading to the January 2023 World Premiere with Oberlin Opera Theater, making her professional debut later that spring at Opera Columbus. Kayleigh loves collaborating with composers and spent much of her undergraduate experience working with student composers. She is a graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory, where she studied with Dr. Katherine Jolly, earning a B.M. in Voice Performance and a B.A. in Psychology.

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In her free time, Kayleigh loves traveling, sailing, reading, dancing, singing, working as a pet-sitter, and spending time outdoors.  

Operas

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  • Dorabella, Così fan tutte, April 2025, Boston Conservatory Opera

  • Susan Veeder (cover), Mother Ocean: Riders to the Sea & Whaling Women, February 2025, Boston Conservatory Opera

  • Hansel, Hänsel & Gretel, July 2024, Chicago Summer Opera

  • Nancy, Albert Herring, November 2023, Oberlin Opera Theater 

  • Zandra, Alice Tierney, March 2023, Opera Columbus (Professional Debut)

  • Zandra, Alice Tierney, January 2023, Oberlin Opera Commissioning Project, WORLD PREMIERE

  • La Zelatrice, Suor Angelica, August 2022, Bel Canto in Tuscany

  • Fidalma, Il matrimonio segreto, March 2022, Oberlin Opera Theater

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Opera Scenes

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  • Sesto , La Clemenza di Tito, August 2023, Bel Canto in Tuscany

  • Alice, Lucia di Lammermoor, August 2023, Bel Canto in Tuscany

  • Nicklausse, Les contes d'Hoffman, August 2023, Bel Canto in Tuscany

  • Hansel, Hansel and Gretel, June 2023, Songfest

  • Dryad, Ariadne auf Naxos, April 2022, Oberlin Opera Theater

  • Octavian, Der Rosenkavalier, April 2022 Oberlin Opera Theater

  • Fidalma, Il matrimonio segreto, April 2021, Oberlin Opera Theater

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Concerts

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  • Featured Soloist, "Tis the Season," December 2024, Tapestry Singers

  • Soloist, Handel's Messiah, December 2023, Oberlin Conservatory

  • Soloist, "Carried Away: An Eclectic Cabaret," June 2023, Songfest 

  • Soloist, "Love, Curiosity, Honesty, and Storytelling: Songs of Alan Louis Smith,” June 2023, Songfest

  • Soloist, "From Spain to the Americas,"June 2023, Songfest

  • Soloist, "Home for the Holidays," December 2022, Tapestry Singers

  • Soloist, Peter Shin’s"Hyo," Dec 2022, Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble

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Awards

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  • ​Jost J. and Reine C. Fleck Opera Scholar 2024-2026

  • Young Stars of Maine, Ezra Rachlin Prize for Excellence, 2025

  • Danenberg Honor Recipient, Spring 2024

  • Dean's Scholarship Recipient, Oberlin Conservatory, 2019-2024

  • Eleanor Erdman and Diane Nixon Prize for Vocal Excellence, Young Stars of Maine, 2021

  • NATS Musical Theater and Classical Voice Finalist and Winner, Maine NATS Competition, 2016-2019

  • Maine Music Educators Association Scholarship Award Winner, 2019

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Education/Programs

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  • MM Opera Performance, Boston Conservatory, 2024-2026

  • Chicago Summer Opera Series, Summer 2024

  • BM Classical Voice Performance/BA Psychology, Oberlin College and Conservatory, 2019-2024

  • Emerging Artist Program, Bel Canto in Tuscany, Summer 2023

  • Young Artist Program, Songfest, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, June 2023

  • Young Artist Program, Bel Canto in Tuscany, Summer 2022

  • Art Song Summer Artist, ArtsBridge, Summer 2018

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Master Classes

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  • Roderick Williams

  • Jake Heggie

  • Roger Vignoles

  • Martin Katz

  • Elvia Puccinelli

  • Gregory Kunde

  • Scott Skiba

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Voice Teachers    

  • Dr. Rebecca Folsom

  • Dr. Katherine Jolly

  • Beth Preston

 

​Coaches​

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  • Laurann Gilley

  • Nicolas Giusti

  • Daniel Michalak

  • Kyung-Eun Na

  • Giovanni Reggioli

  • Thomas Bandy​​

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Special Skills

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  • Ballet (17 years), Tap (15 years),  Musical Theater/Jazz (10 years)

  • Dance Teacher/Choreographer for ages 2-14

  • Church Service Cantor

  • Wedding Service Cantor/Soloist

© 2025 by KAYLEIGH TOLLEY MEZZO. Powered and secured by Wix

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