MONICAMCGHEE.CO.UK SOPRANO

MONICA MCGHEE

Scottish soprano Monica McGhee was a Young Artist at the National Opera Studio and a graduate of the RCS and RCM.

In the 24/25 season she made her Italian debut as Donna Anna ( Don Giovanni) at the Da Ponte Festival in Vittorio Veneto as well as her English National Opera debut as Mary Beaton (Mary Queen of Scots). The 25/26 season sees a return to ENO as cover Jenny Smith (The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny) and this summer Monica will return to the Da Ponte Festival to make her debut as Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze Di Figaro. In addition, she will be one of the coaches on the festival’s Young Artist Programme.

Her most recent title roles include Tosca with Opera Bohemia and Salon Opera, Beatrice with Mid Wales Opera, Iolanta with IF Opera and Belle Lurette with New Sussex Opera. With the UK’s leading opera houses she has also sung Lëila ( Les Pêcheurs des Perles) cover with Opera North and as the Soprano Soloist, on the Scottish Opera Highlights Tour. Other highlights include Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) with Dorset Opera Festival, Mimi (La Boheme) with Kensington Symphony Orchestra, Leonora (Oberto, Conte Di San Bonifaci) cover with Chelsea Opera Group, Adina (L’elisir d’amore) with Celebrate Voice Festival, Suor Cercatrice (Suor Angelica) with West Green Opera, Suor Genovieffa ( Suor Angelica) with Opera Bohemia.

Monica has performed as a soloist in some of the country's greatest venues including The Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Bridgewater Hall, The Barbican, Glasgow City Halls and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. She made her Opera Rara debut singing the role of Francesco in their 2022 award winning recording of La Princesse de Trébizonde.

She has performed internationally with the Royal Opera House on their tour of Japan, and in Norway with Bergen Nasjonale Opera.

Monica is also a celebrated composer, mainly writing for voice and piano. Her ground breaking 8 movement Scottish song cycle ‘The Pebbles We Keep’ had its world premiere at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in November 2025. This trailblazing work is the first classical song cycle in the Scots language, using the poetry of Scottish women throughout history and written by a Scottish woman. A motion was raised in her honour in the Scottish Parliament to recognise this extraordinary work. In 2024 she was commissioned by the international company Zurich to compose a classical duet alongside renowned tenor Toby Spence to highlight the the challenges of those living with cancer. Monica has been very vocal about her own journey with the disease following a thyroid cancer diagnosis in 2017.

PRESS

“And there is a delightful character study from Monica McGhee... she has absorbed the Queen's English so much she sounds like the Queen herself.”

TheatreReviewsNorth
“Monica McGhee (a deliciously arch Princess Zara) with McGhee’s clear, chiming soprano flickering brightly at the top of the ensemble numbers.”

TheArtsDesk.com
“Soloist Monica McGhee found herself fully-exercised in the soprano role, her joyous and consolatory soprano soaring above the choir… but it was the Laudate Dominum which stood out, McGhee spellbinding…”

Sarah Urwin Jones, The Herald
“Another revelation in this production was the young Scottish Soprano Monica McGhee singing Donna Anna. It’s a hackneyed expression but, McGhee was born to perform this role! It will be her calling card to the world’s major opera houses.”

Martina Bet, Daily Express
“As Leila Monica McGhee, as the other point in that love triangle, was quite simply a stunning sensation, a sort of femme fatale with grace and elegance.”

Dundee Courier
“A lucid, limpid voice seems sure to take Monica McGhee (Mimi) far.”

George Hall, Opera Magazine
“Monica McGhee made a delightfully feisty Lurette… singing with great charm and moving between the sparkling and sentimental with great ease. She even gave us cart wheels and hand stands in the last act. Performing this sort of music requires the right combination of personality, musicality and style and McGhee has this in spades.”

Planet Hugill

MONICAMCGHEE.CO.UK SOPRANO

MONICA MCGHEE

PRESS

“And there is a delightful character study from Monica McGhee... she has absorbed the Queen's English so much she sounds like the Queen herself.”

“Monica McGhee (a deliciously arch Princess Zara) with McGhee’s clear, chiming soprano flickering brightly at the top of the ensemble numbers.”

“Soloist Monica McGhee found herself fully-exercised in the soprano role, her joyous and consolatory soprano soaring above the choir… but it was the Laudate Dominum which stood out, McGhee spellbinding…”

“Another revelation in this production was the young Scottish Soprano Monica McGhee singing Donna Anna. It’s a hackneyed expression but, McGhee was born to perform this role! It will be her calling card to the world’s major opera houses.”

“As Leila Monica McGhee, as the other point in that love triangle, was quite simply a stunning sensation, a sort of femme fatale with grace and elegance.”

“A lucid, limpid voice seems sure to take Monica McGhee (Mimi) far.”

PAULA SIDES

CARA MCHARDY