Soprano Aylin Sezer, known for her rich and warm sound along with her sincere acting, has portrayed various roles, including Violetta, Nedda, Micaëla, Tatyana, and Nele in Jan van Gilse’s Thijl, which received a nomination for Best Rediscovered Work at the 2019 International Opera Awards.
This season she has had the pleasure to sing the Dutch première of Helstone’s The Pledge of the Gods under Otto Tausk conducting The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and return to Phion with Beethoven's 9th Symphony under Marc Soustrot.
In the summer of 2021, Aylin sang at the prestigious Prinsengrachtconcert in Amsterdam with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Her repertoire also includes Ravel’s Shéhérazade and appearances in NTR ZaterdagMatinée productions, such as Verdi's I due Foscari, Delius’ A Village Romeo and Juliet, Janaček's Cunning Little Vixen, and Adele in Bellini's Il Pirata.
Aylin had the pleasure to sing the role of Pamina in Peter Brook's production of The Magic Flute during its world tour with Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord. During the 2014-2015 season, she was a member of the Young Ensemble of the Flemish Opera, where she performed roles such as Emma in Khovanshchina, Fünfte Magd, Despina, and Zerlina.
Throughout her career, Aylin has had the privilege of collaborating with renowned conductors like Sir Mark Elder, Paul McCreesh, Alexander Joel, Karina Canellakis, and Dmitri Jurowski, as well as working with accomplished stage directors such as Peter Brook, David Alden, David Bösch, and Floris Visser.
In addition to her opera performances, Aylin enjoys exploring artistic boundaries. Notable examples include The Opera film The Other by Opera Spanga, composed by Floris van Bergeijk and directed by Corina van Eijk, her involvement in World Opera Lab's Arïanna, where music from diverse cultures in Southeast Europe and the Middle East with Monteverdi's Arianna's lament was merged. She has also taken part in Sufi Bach by Wim Selles, a project that combines Turkish musical traditions with Bach. Aylin is an integral part of Ramon Valle's Boundless Forces project, which celebrates musical diversity across genres. Her voice has also been featured in the soundtrack of the Dutch movie De Belofte van Pisa, directed by Norbert ter Hall.
Aylin Sezer forms a lied duo with conductor and pianist Ed Spanjaard.
Her remarkable contributions to the world of opera have earned her accolades, including the Schaunard Award for Most Impressive Dutch Opera Singer of 2017 and The HOTIAD Award for Turkish Artist of the Year 2017.
Born and raised in Istanbul to a Turkish father and a Dutch mother, Aylin moved to the Netherlands for her conservatory studies, earning her bachelor's degree from the Royal Conservatory and her master's degree from the Dutch National Opera Academy, with distinction for "exceptional artistic quality."
