LEILEI XIE

The tenor Leilei Xie is a Chinese tenor with stage experience across Germany and China. He has performed a range of operatic roles, with a focus on Mozart, Verdi, Rossini, and contemporary repertoire. He sang Conte Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Duca in Rigoletto at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater and Theater für Niedersachsen. He was also Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and participated in various productions at the Kammeroper Frankfurt. His education includes a Master of Music from the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. He is currently continuing his artistic development in Europe, performing diverse roles from the classical and bel canto repertoire.

The first round opens with Lehár’s aria “Gern hab’ ich die Frau’n geküsst” from Paganini. Paganini, the legendary violinist, sings this aria to explain his carefree and casual approach to women. It continues with Donizetti’s aria “Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!”, famous for its virtuosic character and challenging ornaments.

The semifinal continues with Rossini’s aria “Asile héréditaire” from Guillaume Tell. The piece, a masterpiece of French bel canto, requires great vocal range and considerable breath control. The program concludes with Mozart’s “Un’aura amorosa” from Così fan tutte, an example of eighteenth-century musical theatre that requires great elegance in phrasing and a deep understanding of the text.