The Lebanese-Russian soprano Anna El-Khashem was named ‘Emerging Opera Singer of the Year’ by the jury of critics of the magazine Opernwelt in 2018, and in 2019 won first prize at the renowned competition ‘Neue Stimmen’. She completed her studies in St Petersburg and made her Russian state debut as Luisa in Prokofiev’s Betrothal in a Monastery, followed by her international debut as Bastienne (Bastien und Bastienne) at the Bregenz Festival. As a member first of the opera studio and then of the ensemble of the Bavarian State Opera she appeared in new productions as Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro), Mermaid (Oberon), Esmeralda (The Bartered Bride), Inès (La Favorite) and Coryphée (Alceste). Since then, she has performed under many leading conductors, including Kirill Petrenko, Constantinos Carydis, Ivor Bolton, Giacomo Sagripanti, Bertrand de Billy, Gustavo Dudamel and Simone Young.
Following her role debut as Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) at the 2019 New Generation Festival in Florence, Anna El-Khashem became an ensemble member of the Wiesbaden State Theatre, where she sang roles including Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Second Niece (Peter Grimes) and Susanna, as well as Sophie in a new production of Werther.
In the 2020/21 season she made her house debuts at the Paris Opéra as Servilia (La clemenza di Tito) and at the Zurich Opera House in a concert under Riccardo Minasi. The following season she returned to Paris as Susanna and as Zerlina (Don Giovanni). She made her debut at the Verbier Festival in summer 2022 as Zerlina. In the 2022/23 season she returned to Zurich for Cavalli’s Eliogabalo in a production directed by Calixto Bieto, and to Wiesbaden for her role debut as Marzelline (Fidelio). She performed Susanna at the Opéra de Monte- Carlo in a guest performance given by the Vienna State Opera.
In the 2023/24 season Anna El-Khashem has sung Clarine and Thalie in a new production of Platée in Zurich and made her debut at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam as Marzelline. Prior to her Salzburg Festival debut, she returned to the Verbier Festival in July 2024 as Susanna.
