Yulan Piao - soprano

Yulan Piao also delivered a strong turn as Liù... From her opening "Principessa, l'amore," there was a tenderness that had not been present from anyone else to this moment in the performance. Her legato lines were fluid throughout this first aria and as she built toward the "A! Come offerta suprema del mio amore," she accelerated, the lines more accented until all time stopped on the A and B flat of this climactic line, the soprano delivering an arresting piannissimo. "Tu che di gel sei cinta" was even more potent, with Piao's singing imbued with a sense of urgency. She held the high A fermata on "di questa ancora," crescendoing gloriously into the final "aurora." At that moment, she grabbed the sword from the executioner and stabbed herself viciously, collapsing with similar potency to the ground. After such heartwrenching singing, her physicality in this moment was the perfect emotional punctuation. The audience gave her a tremendous ovation right before the final duet. The response to her during the curtain hall was similarly effusive. David Salazar - Operawire

Soprano Yulan Piao continues to establish herself on major operatic stages across the United States.

In the 2026–27 season, Ms. Piao returns to Florida Grand Opera to perform the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, following her triumphant debut with the company in 2026 as Liù in Turandot alongside world-renowned artists Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak. In addition, she will bring her interpretation of Donna Anna to Opera San José, marking another significant house debut.

A frequent guest at prestigious companies, Ms. Piao recently made a successful debut at San Francisco Opera as Princess Jia in Dream of the Red Chamber and was promptly re-engaged for the company’s 2025–26 season to cover the leading role in the world premiere of The Monkey King. Her exceptional versatility was further demonstrated in the summer of 2026, when she starred as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly with Maryland Opera—a signature role she has also performed to critical acclaim with Boston Lyric Opera and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra.

On the concert, Ms. Piao recently made her celebrated debut at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium as the soprano soloist in Bach’s Magnificat. Other notable concert appearances include performances as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the American Classical Orchestra at Lincoln Center Alice Tully Hall. Her extensive operatic repertoire includes leading roles such as Sandrina in L’infedeltà delusa with Sarasota Opera and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette with Knoxville Opera. She has also appeared on numerous American stages as Mimì and Musetta (La bohème), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Luisa (Luisa Miller), Magda (La rondine), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), and Gilda (Rigoletto).

Ms. Piao is a distinguished laureate of several prestigious vocal competitions in the United States. Her numerous accolades include First Prize at the Verismo Opera Competition, First Prize at the Vienna Summer Music Festival Competition, 2017 Winner Career Bridges Competition, Third Prize winner at the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, Third Prize at both the Connecticut Opera Idol Competition and the Lois Alba Aria Competition, and an Encouragement Grant from the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition.