Recognised as „a name to watch“ (The Times of London, 2023), British-Pakistani soprano Mimi Doulton has a growing reputation as an interpreter of 20th and 21st century repertoire. Engagements in the 25/26 season include Gioia / Tristezza in WYLD and cover Consort 1 / Lady in Waiting 1 in Brett Dean’s Of One Blood at the Bayerische Staatsoper, a return to the Royal Ballet and Opera as DHL Driver in Last Days, and appearances with London Sinfonietta at Cervantino Festival Mexico, with ICTUS at Musikfestival Bern, with the oesterreischisches ensemble fuer neue musik, and at Musica Viva with soloists of the Bayerische Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra.
24/25 saw her acclaimed debut in the Austrian premiere of GF Haas’ opera Liebesgesang at the Tiroler Landestheater, praised by critics as „breathtaking“ (Tiroler Tageszeitung) and „captivating“ (Online Merkur). Other engagements included covering the role of Muchacha in Beat Furrer’s Das grosse Feuer at Opernhaus Zürich, and creating the role of Thea in Fruehlings Erwachen at Staatsoper Hamburg / Kampnagel. Concerts included her Canadian debut jumping in with Nouvel Ensemble Modern for Vivier’s Trois airs pour un opera imaginaire, a performance of the same work with the oesterreischisches ensemble fuer neue musik, and her Swiss debut singing Jörg Widmann’s Versuch über die Fuge conducted by the composer.
In 2023/24 she made debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Thomas Adès in the US premiere of Last Days, and at Staatsoper Stuttgart in Kurt Weill’s Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny. She appeared in concert with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group under Vimbayi Kaziboni, with the Mozartists under Ian Page, at Snape Maltings, and with Decoder Ensemble at Time of Music in Viitasaari. Engagements in 2022/23 included her Royal Ballet and Opera Linbury Theatre debut in the world premiere of Oliver Leith’s Last Days, as well as appearances as Gretel at Theater Pforzheim, as Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, and as Max in Knussen’s Wo die wilde Kerlen Wohnen with the Bamberger Sypmhoniker.
Mimi studied at King’s College London and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and was a young artist at Fondation Royaumont, Academie Aix-en-Provence, Leeds Lieder, Longborough Festival Opera, and Park Lane Group. She made her professional debut with Birmingham Opera Company in a Giorgio Battistelli world premiere whilst completing her studies; this lead to further engagements in the realm of contemporary music including understudying in Gerald Barry’s The Intelligence Park for the Royal Opera / Music Theatre Wales, and concert debuts at Wigmore Hall, and the Southbank Centre Purcell Room.
Awards include second prize at the 2021 John Cage Interpretation Award, the 2022 Opera Awards Foundation bursary and the 2023 Guildhall Futures Fund. She was a finalist in the 2022 Royal Overseas League Vocal Competition and the 2024 Peter Hulsen Orchestral Song Prize, and has held residencies at Fondation Royaumont and Wild Plum Arts.
Alongside singing, Mimi is a Trustee of Eye Music Trust and volunteers with UNICEF Stuttgart and Freelancers Make Theatre Work. Until 2023, she held numerous jobs parallel to her singing career, including telesales for a streaming service, IT support, and charity social media management. She has been living in Stuttgart, Germany since autumn 2020.
Please email mimidoulton@googlemail.com for an up-to-date biography for inclusion in concert programmes and elsewhere online.