British-American soprano Shafali Jalota has been praised for her “stunning vocal technique and poised stage presence” (Opera Today). She is a prize-winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Camille Coloratura Awards, the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Competition, and the Eastbourne International Singing Competition. Shafali has performed internationally with companies including the Royal Ballet & Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera Neo and Chautauqua Opera. Shafali is a member of the Extra Chorus of both English National Opera and the Royal Ballet & Opera. In 2023/24, she was a Young Artist at the National Opera Studio in London and a Britten Pears Young Artist. She joined English Touring Opera for the first time, covering Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress and as a member of the ensemble. She sang Argene in Pergolesi’s L’Olimpiade with Vache Baroque and returned to the Royal Ballet & Opera to join the Extra Chorus in Tosca.
In the 2022/23 season, Shafali completed her second festival season at Glyndebourne, as Zerlina (cover) in Mariame Clément’s new production of Don Giovanni and a member of the Glyndebourne Chorus. She sang at the Royal Ballet & Opera for the first time as a member of the Extra Chorus in four productions. With Opera on the Move, she sang the role of Lucy in Menotti’s The Telephone.
Previous summers were spent singing Romilda in Handel’s Serse and Giunone in Cavalli’s La Calisto with Opera Neo, and Annu in Sankaram’s Thumbprint at Chautauqua Opera (cancelled due to COVID-19). With Hampstead Garden Opera, Shafali sang Clori in Cavalli’s L’Egisto and Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro, garnering praise for her “radiant and captivating” performance (The Stage). Shafali earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master’s Degree from the Maryland Opera Studio. While at the Maryland Opera Studio, Shafali sang the role of Rose Maurrant, Street Scene and the Toy Fairy, Die Zaubernacht as part of the Kurt Weill Festival, as well as Countess Almaviva, Le Nozze di Figaro. She also created the role of Mina, Town Hall, fueling an interest in contemporary opera.
Shafali has received awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Eastbourne International Singing Competition, the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Competitions, the Camille Coloratura Awards, and the Bampton Classical Opera Competition. While at UNC Chapel Hill, Shafali was a Robertson Scholar and a Vollmer Music Scholar, and received the Ferebee Taylor Award from the Chancellor. Shafali is grateful for the support of Opera Prelude, SongEasel, the DEBUT Horizon Programme, and the church of St. Stephens Rochester Row. Shafali is proud to be of mixed British and Indian heritage.