Ermonela Jaho is an Albanian soprano known for performances that combine vocal refinement with intense dramatic identification. Born in Albania, she studied at the Tirana Conservatory and at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome before building an international career across opera houses including the Royal Ballet and Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, the Opéra national de Paris, the Wiener Staatsoper and the Teatro Real. In 2026, her Opera Rara recordings of Donizetti songs received the International Classical Music Award for Vocal Music.
Her repertoire moves from Baroque and bel canto to verismo, with signature interpretations of Violetta in La traviata, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, Suor Angelica, Adriana Lecouvreur, Anna Bolena and Thaïs. Jaho’s work is distinguished by close attention to character, text and emotional detail, qualities that have made her equally prominent in staged productions, concerts and recordings. She is also an artist ambassador for Opera Rara and Opera for Peace.
During the 2026–2027 season, Jaho returns to Opernhaus Zürich as Magda in Puccini’s La rondine, with performances on 24 and 27 September and 1, 10 and 15 October 2026. She then joins the 75th-anniversary gala of Wexford Festival Opera on 17 October, alongside the festival orchestra and an international cast of soloists.