Hongni Wu

A former member of Royal Ballet and Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, Hongni Wu’s recent returns to Covent Garden as a principal guest brought unqualified success: in the 2022/23 season as Kuchtik in a new production of “Rusalka”, conducted by Semyon Bychkov and last season, conducted by Kevin John Edusei, as Suzuki in “Madama Butterfly”, hailed by The Guardian as “a mezzo of rich mellow dignity”.

As a young artist at Covent Garden, Wu made her main stage debut as Flora in Richard Eyre’s popular production of “La traviata” under Antonello Manacorda, subsequently appearing as Mercédès in “Carmen”, Zweite Dame in “Die Zauberflöte” and Siébel in Charles Gounod’s “Faust”. At the Linbury Theatre, she was praised for her gritty interpretation of Hans Werner Henze’s “Phaedra” and as part of the Young Artists’ Summer Showcase she performed scenes from both “Pelléas et Mélisande” and “Il barbiere di Siviglia”.

As part of Hongni Wu’s 2024/25 season, she returns to Opéra National de Montpellier as Farnace in “Mitridate, re di Ponto”, conducted by Philippe Jaroussky, she reprises Siébel in David McVicar’s production of Faust at the Royal Ballet and Opera Covent Garden under Maurizio Benini and she debuts as Cherubino in “Le nozze di Figaro” at Santa Fe Opera under Harry Bicket. In concert, Wu joins Ensemble Resonanz and Riccardo Minasi in a curated programme of Georg Friedrich Händel and Luigi Cherubini at Kölner Philharmonie.

Hongni Wu has recently delighted critics with her Rossini portrayals: as a spirited Angelina in “La Ceneretola” at Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova under Riccardo Minasi and as Rosina in “Il barbiere di Siviglia” at both Opera Theater of Saint Louis under Jonathan Brandani and at Macau International Music Festival. She debuted as Dorabella in “Così fan Tutte” at Pacific Opera Victoria, as Der Komponist in “Ariadne auf Naxos” at Opéra National de Montpellier and returned to the roles of Kuchtik at Opera Royal de Wallonie under Giampaolo Bisanti and Suzuki at The Royal Danish Opera under Paolo Carignani. Further important appearances include her creation of the dual roles of Comrade Chin and Shu Fung in the world premiere of Huang Ruo’s “M. Butterfly” at Santa Fe Opera and Bao Chai in Bright Sheng’s “Dream of the Red Chamber” at San Francisco Opera.

Equally comfortable on the concert and recital platforms, recent seasons have seen Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 at London’s Royal Festival Hall with Paavo Järvi and Philharmonia Orchestra, Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde” with Yu Long conducting Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and Tan Dun conducting Shanghai Symphony Orchestra as well as Mahler’s “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen” with Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra. In Tan Dun’s epic “Buddha Passion”, Hongni Wu debuted with Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conducted by the composer himself. Last season, in a programme focused on Johannes Brahms, Antonin Dvořák and Manuel de Falla, Hongni Wu and her pianist Sergey Rybin gave sold-out recitals at Quangzhou Xinghai Concert Hall and Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall.

Whilst studying at the Manhattan School of Music, Hongni Wu gave performances as Angelina, Sesto in “La clemenza di Tito” and La libellule in “L’enfant et les sortilèges”, garnering praise from the New York Times for her “technical agility, warm colourings and ample sound,” and was a 2018 winner of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.