Tunisian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb is capturing international attention with her compelling stage presence and vocal versatility. The 25/26 season sees Chaieb make a series of house debuts, including Nefertiti in Glass’ Akhnaten, for the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the title role in Bizet’s Carmen for Montreal Opera and Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther for the Teatro Cervantes de Málaga. Elsewhere Chaieb returns to the Bayerische Staatsoper as Maddalena in a new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto and to the Atlanta Opera for Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro.

On the concert platform, Chaieb will perform her debut Mahler’s Symphony No.2 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra cond. Stutzmann, Mahler’s Symphony No.3 with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra cond. Tausk, Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Barcelona cond. Morlot and gives a recital at the Life Victoria Barcelona with Brian Zeger.

In the last season, Chaieb returned to LA Opera as Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, the Metropolitan Opera as Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Canadian Opera Company as Fenena in Verdi’s Nabucco, made her house debut with Opera Australia as title role Carmen and returned to the Bayerische Staatsoper as Lola in a new production of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. In huge demand on the concert platform, Chaieb performed at Le Concert de Paris with the Orchestre National de France, made her debut with the Bregenzer Festspiele in Ravel’s Scheherezade with the Wiener Symphoniker cond. Elim Chan, performed Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Philadelphia Orchestra & Orchestre Metropolitain Montreal both cond. Nézet- Séguin, along with further performances of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic cond. Dudamel and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Carmen in concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic cond. Dudamel & Kalamazoo Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem with the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec cond. Sousa and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Washington National Symphony Orchestra cond. Noseda.

Recent operatic highlights include the title role in a new production of Carmen at Glyndebourne Festival and for the BBC Proms, Chaieb’s debut at Opernhaus Zürich as Charlotte in Massenet Werther, Fenena Nabucco under Daniele Rustioni in Chaieb’s debut for the Bayerische Staatsoper and for Deutsche Oper Berlin, her LA Opera debut as Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro under James Conlon, her debut at Washington National Opera & Seiji Ozawa Music Academy as Dorabella Così fan tutte and Nefertiti in Glass Akhnaten for The Metropolitan Opera.  

Other operatic successes include title role Carmen for Canadian Opera Company, Palm Beach Opera, Oper Köln & Calgary Opera, Lola Cavalleria Rusticana with Dutch National Opera cond. Lorenzo Viotti, Dorabella Così fan tutte for Santiago de Chile, Maddalena Rigoletto & Offenbach Fantasio for Opéra National de Montpellier, Rosina in Rossini Il barbiere di Siviglia at Cincinnati Opera & Kasturbai in Glass Satyagraha & Charlotte Werther for Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.

Elsewhere, Chaieb has sung Penelope Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria on tour and for a recording with Ensemble I Gemelli and Carmen in concert for her debut with the Quincena Musical de San Sebastián. She has created the role of Claire in the world premiere of Melancholia with the Royal Swedish Opera, La mère Meryem in Jost Voyage vers l’espoir for Grand Théâtre de Genève & gave the world premiere of Tarik O’Regan’s The Phoenix in her debut for Houston Grand Opera.

On the concert platform, Chaieb has sung Beethoven Symphony No.9 & Verdi Requiem with the Los Angeles Philharmonic cond. Dudamel, Beethoven 9 with Nézet- Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Verdi Requiem with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Gardner, Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen cond. Debus & a Rossini Gala cond. Nagano with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Handel Messiah cond. Gimeno with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra cond. Egarr, Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, de Falla El sombrero de tres picos with both Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra cond. Prieto & Mozart Requiem with Les Violons du Roi cond. Labadie. Her various recital appearances have included Vocal Arts DC with pianist Brian Zeger and for the National Arts Center's #CanadaPerforms series with pianist Jennifer Szeto.

As a recording artist, Chaieb has appeared on Jonathan Tetelman’s ‘The Great Puccini’ album for Deutsche Grammophon, and has recorded both Bach’s Mass in B minor & Beethoven Symphony No.9 with Orchestre Métropolitain under Music Director Nézet-Séguin, the latter released on Deutsche Grammophon’s DG Stage.

As a former member of the The Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program, Chaieb appeared in numerous productions there, including Zulma L’italiana in Algeri, Laura Luisa Miller, Lola Cavalleria Rusticana, and Sandmännchen Hänsel und Gretel. Chaieb returned to the Met as a guest with Zerlina Don Giovanni under Cornelius Meister.