Amy J Payne

British mezzo-soprano Amy J Payne has an extensive operatic repertoire. Renowned for her strong and characterful stage performances – and described as ‘one of the best comprimarios on the circuit’ (Bachtrack) – Amy has worked with companies across the UK including Opera North, Scottish Opera, English Touring Opera, Garsington Opera, Mid Wales Opera and Buxton International Festival.

Her busy 25/26 season saw her debut for Welsh National Opera as The Old Woman Candide, house and company debuts as both Mrs Grose The Turn of the Screw for the Teatro Verdi, Pisa, and Petrovna in Elena Langer’s To Die For [A Comedy]  for the Nederlandse Reisopera, and a return to Opera North as June Spoon in David Fennessy’s Pass the Spoon. Summer 2026 saw Amy return to the Buxton International Festival as Annina La traviata and Olga Kromov The Merry Widow.

Her future plans include further performances as Petrovna To Die For [A Comedy] for the Nederlandse Reisopera and for her debut with English National Opera, and a return to Opera Holland Park as Ruth The Pirates of Penzance.

Amy’s other recent highlights include Arnalta L’incoronazione di Poppea, Mother Goose/Baba the Turk The Rake’s Progress and Bobylikha The Snow Maiden (all for English Touring Opera), Olga Kromov The Merry Widow for Scottish Opera and Opera Holland Park, and Dame Carruthers The Yeoman of the Guard (also for Opera Holland Park). Her long-standing relationship with Opera North in the UK has seen Amy in a variety of repertoire including Petra A Little Night Music, Tisbe La Cenerentola, Cornelia Giulio Cesare, Third Lady The Magic Flute, Olga Olsen Street Scene and Annina La traviata.

Amy is also well-known for her collaborations with contemporary composers, and her projects include new works by Anne Chmelewsky (The Looking Glass, Pygmalion 2.0), Laura Bowler (Women Conduct), Luca Tieppo (Suggestions of Love), Omar Sharyar (The Great Stink) and Daniel Saleeb (The Promise).

Originally from South Devon, Amy trained at Guildhall School of Music & Drama where she was awarded the English Song Prize. She is also a Samling Scholar and holds a BA (Hons) in French & German from King’s College, London.

Her concert work includes Elgar’s Sea Pictures and, for Leeds Lieder, The Diary of One who Disappeared with Nicky Spence and Joseph Middleton. With Anna Pool, Amy has devised a cabaret performance of music by female songwriters - Frau, that’s what I call music! – for Spitalfields Festival, ETO and Lichfield Festival. For the latter, Amy was also commissioned to create a new cabaret dedicated to the work of Victoria Wood, which premiered in Lichfield in summer 2026 (with further performances planned in 2027). Amy also has an established reputation as an actor and musical theatre performer, and she works regularly with the award-winning Charles Court Opera across operetta, opera and pantomime.

On the oratorio platform, Amy’s repertoire includes J.S. Bach Magnificat, C.P.E. Bach Magnificat, Beethoven Missa Solemnis, Dvořák Stabat Mater, Duruflé Requiem Rachmaninoff Vespers, Mozart Requiem, Verdi Requiem, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Vivaldi Gloria and Handel Messiah (including several staged versions of the latter).

Amy also works regularly both as a workshop deviser and facilitator for various community groups, choirs and opera companies nationwide, including WNO, Opera North and English Touring Opera. After making her directorial debut as part of the ETO Perform programme in 23/24, Amy returned to the company as assistant director for both The Vanishing Forest and Little Terror in 2025.