Caitlin Lynch
Norma L. Heyde Faculty Development Professor of Voice & Opera; Assistant Professor of Music
Bio
Declared “luminous” by the New York Times and “eloquent” by the Wall Street Journal, soprano Caitlin Lynch captivates audiences with her portrayals of iconic leading ladies. She debuted as Biancofiore in The Metropolitan Opera‘s 2013 production of Francesca da Rimini and has since returned as Cynthia in Nico Muhly’s Two Boys, Pamina and First Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro.
Drawing on the insight and discipline cultivated through an active international performance career, Caitlin Lynch brings the same artistry and intentionality to her work as the Norma L. Heyde Faculty Development Professor of Voice & Opera at the University of Michigan. Acutely aware of the importance of the mind-body connection for performing artists, she prioritizes wellness and balance in her teaching studio. She is a proponent of a nurturing and supportive environment, grounded in and guided by her students’ individual goals. She encourages self awareness and the uplifting power of community, in academia and beyond.
Highlighting the 2026-2027 season, Ms. Lynch makes her Australian debut, singing performances of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with Donald Runnicles and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She headlines the Opening Night Concert with Chamber Music Detroit, and returns to the Metropolitan Opera as the First Lady in the beloved holiday version of The Magic Flute, later covering the leading soprano role of Anna Sørensen in the company premiere of Silent Night.
Her 2025-2026 season included a highly-acclaimed role debut as Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, in Patricia Racette’s production at Opera Omaha, and her Wagnerian debut as the 3rd Norn in Götterdämmerung at Atlanta Opera. She also returned to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Micaëla in Carmen.
Ms. Lynch joined the Metropolitan Opera during the 2024-2025 season for two Mozart titles: singing the First Lady in the company’s cherished family production of The Magic Flute, and covering Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro. She also returned to the Grand Teton Music Festival as the soprano soloist for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, led by Sir Donald Runnicles. During the summer, she created the title role of Siddhartha, She, a new scenic oratorio composed by Chris Theofanidis and conducted by Robert Spano, at the Aspen Music Festival.
A champion of contemporary composers and new music, Caitlin received international acclaim for creating the role of Eliza in Nico Muhly’s chamber opera, Dark Sisters, which premiered at the Gotham Chamber Opera in New York, with subsequent performances at Opera Philadelphia. She originated Callie Van Lew in the highly-anticipated world premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Intelligence at Houston Grand Opera, which received the 2026 GRAMMY® for Best Opera Recording. Ms. Lynch has worked closely with Heggie and Scheer throughout her career, premiering their new song cycle, Another Sunrise, commissioned by Music of Remembrance (MoR) in Seattle. She helped celebrate the 25th anniversary of MoR during the 2022-23 season, with performances of the work in Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago, and also appeared with the ensemble for the world-premiere of Farewell, Auschwitz!
In addition to covering Clarissa Vaughan in The Hours with The Metropolitan Opera, her recent operatic engagements include First Lady in Barrie Kosky/1927’s production of Die Zauberflöte for Houston Grand Opera; Micaëla in Carmen with the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy; Donna Anna in Don Giovanni for her debut with English National Opera; Contessa Almaviva with Austin Opera, San Diego Opera and Seattle Opera; Yadwiga in the world premiere of Ben Moore’s Enemies, a Love Story at Palm Beach Opera, and Violetta (La traviata) and Marie Antoinette (Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles) with Chautauqua Opera.
On the concert stage, the soprano has recently appeared with the Kansas City and Seattle Symphonies (Beethoven 9th Symphony); The Washington Chorus (Mendelssohn Elijah), the Handel & Haydn Society (Mozart concert arias & Mass in C Minor); the Saint Louis Symphony (Mozart Requiem); the Omaha Symphony (Dvořák’s Stabat Mater), and the Kalamazoo Symphony (Beethoven’s 9th). She has also sung Handel’s Messiah with the Ann Arbor, Pacific and Milwaukee Symphonies; Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Grant Park Music Festival; Orff’s dramatic cantata Carmina Burana with Seattle, Milwaukee, and Alabama Symphonies and appeared at the Spoleto Festival USA as the Soprano Soloist in John Adams’ El Niño.
Additional career performances include Micaëla in Carmen at Seattle Opera; Marguerite in Faust at Michigan Opera Theatre (now Detroit Opera); Violetta in La Traviata with Arizona Opera and Des Moines Metro Opera; Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with the Glimmerglass Festival, Detroit Opera, and Opera Lyra Ottawa; Donna Anna (Pittsburgh Opera) and Donna Elvira (Madison Opera, Utah Opera, Opera Carolina) in Don Giovanni; Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Arizona Opera); and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte (Opera Carolina, Arizona Opera, Palm Beach Opera).
Caitlin Lynch studied at the University of Michigan and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), before training with the young artist programs of Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. Caitlin Lynch was awarded First Place in the Houston Grand Opera Competition, and subsequently made her mainstage debut as Hero in Beatrice et Benedict. Additional awards include a Sara Tucker Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation, and 2nd place in the Palm Beach Opera Competition. Caitlin and her husband, baritone Jonathan Lasch, cofounded Detroit Song Collective, which is dedicated to celebrating the living power of song to move hearts, change lives, and transform the world. They live in Ferndale, MI with their three children.
