Ayane Imai and Souhei Yamagami in concert / BTF 2017

Ayane Imai, a soprano singer, was born in Hokkaido, and studied in Sapporo, Pécs and Budapest. Young as she is, she is a very versatile performer, whom Budapest audiences could hear and see in both a contemporary opera (Péter Eötvös’s Lady Sarashina) and in Orontea, a piece by Antonio Cesti, a seminal master of early Baroque Italian opera.

She played Amor in the latter, “with such charm, fetching impishness and richness of movements that made her a true lead character of the production, besides Orontea” (János Malina). The rather challenging lead role of Eötvös’s opera she “pulled off with bravura assurance, and even had energy left for acting” (Fehér Elephánt).

She has participated at several competitions with success, becoming a finalist at the international singing competition in Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic, third at the Nakata Yoshinao singing competition, and finishing first at Hokkaido University’s competition for students. She honed her skills at the Liszt Academy with Andrea Meláth.