Stefanie Irányi
Mezzo-Soprano
Born and raised in the Chiemgau area of Bavaria, German mezzo-soprano Stefanie Irányi has built an acclaimed career on stages across Europe. She began her musical journey at the University Music School in Munich, where she won several prestigious awards, including prizes at the International Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau and the National Song Competition in Berlin.
Irányi's career took off with a successful debut at the Turin opera house in a new production of Giancarlo Menotti's The Consul. This led to engagements at some of the most celebrated opera houses and concert halls in Italy and beyond. She has since performed under the baton of renowned conductors like Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Semyon Bychkov, and Kent Nagano. In a recent season, she made a critically acclaimed debut as Lucretia in Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia at the Bari Opera House. Her performance earned praise from the press, with reviewers highlighting her "splendid voice and phrasing," "beauty of timbre," and "irresistible stage presence."
Following a triumphant performance of Mahler's 8th Symphony in Hamburg, conductor Semyon Bychkov re-invited her to perform and record the same piece with the Prague Philharmonic. She joined their European tour in spring 2026, performing Stravinsky's Pulcinella.
Irányi's upcoming schedule includes performances of Franz Schmidt's Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln in Hamburg, Mahler's 2nd Symphony with the Israel Philharmonic, Mahler's 8th Symphony in São Paulo, and Das Lied von der Erde in Linz and Madrid. Highlights of the season will include her stage appearance as Brangäne with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra and her debut as Fricka in Die Walküre in Beijing.
Beyond the opera stage, Irányi has a deep passion for German art song. She frequently performs recitals with pianist Helmut Deutsch at festivals throughout Austria and Germany. Her artistry has been captured on numerous recordings, including a live performance of Wagner's Das Rheingold with Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and a solo album of arias called Lamenti, which was highly praised by Opernglas magazine. Reviewing a performance of Mahler's 8th Symphony at Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie, the magazine Bachtrack wrote: "... but I liked Stefanie Irányi as the Samaritan woman even more, creamy, confident and powerful."