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Chicago-based mezzo-soprano Lauryn Nelson is making a striking impression on the opera scene with a repertoire that spans Verismo, Romantic, Baroque, contemporary, and more. Equally at home in dramatic and character-driven repertoire, she brings a rich vocal presence and a keen sense of storytelling to the stage.
Nelson recently completed two seasons as the mezzo-soprano Baumgartner Studio Artist with The Florentine Opera, where she appeared as Antonia’s Mother in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Mercédès in Carmen, Pipetto in Viva la mamma, and Mother/Aunt in Madama Butterfly. During her residency, she also covered several leading roles, including Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, the title role in Carmen, and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. She subsequently joined Des Moines Metro Opera as a 2026 Apprentice Artist, covering the Deaconess in Szymanowski’s Król Roger and performing scenes from Verdi’s Rigoletto, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor.
Her 2026–27 season brings a series of company debuts and returns. Nelson makes her OPERA San Antonio debut as Tisbe in Rossini’s La Cenerentola and returns to The Florentine Opera as a mainstage artist playing Second Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. She also joins Chicago Opera Theater, covering Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, before returning to Sarasota Opera as a Studio Artist, where she will sing Grandmother Buryjovka in Janáček’s Jenůfa and cover Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore.
"A promising sign of the festival’s recent growth: even bit parts were securely cast. Lauryn Nelson wielded a pure mezzo-soprano as Mrs. Nolan, a skeptic-turned-believer who comes to depend on Madame Flora’s séances."
Chicago Tribune / Hannah Edgar
Nelson’s additional operatic credits reflect a particular affinity for vivid, dramatically complex characters. She has appeared as Mrs. Nolan in Menotti’s The Medium and The Singer in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut with Opera Festival of Chicago; Bradamante in Handel’s Alcina, Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, and The Medium in Christopher Cerrone’s In a Grove with Northwestern University Opera Theater; and a Flower Maiden in Act II of Wagner’s Parsifal with Tundi’s Wagner in Vermont. Earlier appearances include performances with Opera Steamboat, Chicago Summer Opera, and DePaul Opera Theatre. Her concert repertoire includes Vivaldi’s Gloria, Falla’s El amor brujo, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and the Duruflé Requiem.
A Second Place winner in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition’s Central Region, Nelson has also been recognized as an Illinois District Winner and received Encouragement Awards in both the Illinois and Minnesota Districts. Her honors further include the Grand Prize in the Patricia Crump Vocal Competition, the Legacy Award from the National Opera Association’s Carolyn Bailey Argento Vocal Competition, and the Farwell Trust Award from the Musicians Club of Women.
Nelson holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from DePaul University. Her training has also included residencies and young artist programs with The Florentine Opera, Sarasota Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Opera Steamboat.
A passionate advocate for diversity in opera, Lauryn is committed to inclusion and bringing this art form to all communities. Her artistry, depth of interpretation, and unwavering dedication continue to distinguish her as a rising force in the operatic world and an artist to watch.