Lauded for her "vocal power" (Times Union) and "nimble coloratura" (The Daily Gazette)
soprano, Haley Whitney has enthralled audiences with her sparkling theatricality. In January
2024 Haley was awarded an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont
Competition. Recently she joined Opera Saratoga as a festival artist for their 2023 season,
where she performed as Norina in Don Pasquale. She was also a festival artist with the company
in 2020.
Previously Haley performed with The New Orleans Opera Association as Frasquita in Carmen, as
well as Woman 1 in The Blind in 2019, conducted by the composer Lera Auerbach. She made
her professional opera debut with her home company of NOOA in 2018 as Cèphise in
Pygmalion. Haley was also a member of the New Orleans Opera Chorus and was featured in
several productions in the ensemble under the direction of the incomparable Carol Rausch.
Equally comfortable on the concert stage, Ms. Whitney performed with the Louisiana
Philharmonic Orchestra in 2021 and 2019 for their celebrated Christmas Concerts performing
selections from works such as Handel's Messiah and Bach's Christmas Oratorio. In 2018 Haley
made her symphony soloist debut as Mary Jacobi in Bach’s Easter Oratorio. She was a soloist with St. Charles Ave. Presbyterian Church from 2015-2024. There she has
performed solos in Poulenc’s Gloria, as well as Stabat Mater by both Pergolesi and Rossini with
orchestra. Haley holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Loyola University
New Orleans. She currently studies with renowned mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson-Cano.