Biography
 

An Anglo-Swedish Society scholar Mae Heydorn studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

Graduating with distinction she made her operatic debut with Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Woodpecker

in The Cunning Little Vixen.

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She understudied Bianca in The Rape of Lucretia & Mrs Grose in The Turn of the Screw at Glyndebourne

and continues her love of performing Britten’s music most recently as Auntie in Peter Grimes at the

Southbank Centre and Mrs Grose in Cumbria Opera Group’s much acclaimed 2025 production.

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Last season Mae Heydorn sang the title role in Café Europa, a collaboration with the Serbian National

Opera and the Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra, which had its premiere at the Festival de Ópera de

Óbidos.

Other contemporary performances include the world premiere of Opera Mums with Bryony Kimmings

streamed on BBC4 and Birtwistle’s The Mask of Orpheus at English National Opera.

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Mae is the winner of the Swedish Wagner Award 2019 and has since sung her critically acclaimed role debut as Erda in Der Ring des Nibelungen at Longborough Festival Opera and later in the critically praised

Regents Opera Ring Cycle.

‘A gorgeously sung Erda from Mae Heydorn’ The Guardian

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The UK premiere of Gounod’s La Nonne Sanglante earned her an Offie nomination for Best Performance in

the title role and an Offie Award for Best Opera Production.

‘Mae Heydorn was the star turn as the nun.’ Opera Now

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Last year reviewers praised her for the portrayal of Hedwig in the UK staged premiere of Offenbach's Die

Rheinnixen at the Battersea Arts Centre.

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A Making Music Philip and Dorothy Green Award winner Mae performs in recital across the UK with the

English Chamber Orchestra at Cadogan Hall, at St John’s Smith Square, the Oxford International Song

Festival (formerly Oxford Lieder) and Music at Oxford.

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25/26 highlights include Mahler’s Symphony No 2 at Blackheath Halls and Verdi’s Requiem at Bath Abbey.

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2025 saw her Carmen role debut with the Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra at the Sharks’ Arena ‘Mae

Heydorn's Carmen was magnetic, charismatic, and at times quite frighteningly bewitching, her velvety voice

weaved seduction and danger into every phrase’ Scene and Heard

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In 2026 her interpretation of Herodias in Regents Opera’s new Salome was described as ‘simply stunning’

Opera Today ‘in her striking stage presence and blade-like vocal precision’ Opera Now

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Later this season Mae is creating the title role in a new commission

They Sow Wind and Shall Reap Storm which will premiere and tour Sweden with Piteå Chamber Opera.

Mae is making her house and role debut with Dorset Opera as Dalila in Samson et Dalila.