Shannon
Known for her “emotional and deeply personal singing,” (OperaWire) and what her friends would call "an uncanny ability to take things too far," Hungarian-American Mezzo-Soprano Shannon Keegan continues to captivate audiences with her “luminous voice” (Ópera Actual) and fierce dramatic skill.
Starting the 2026/2027 season, Shannon will make her United States operatic debut as Lišak, The Fox in Barrie Kosky’s staging of The Cunning Little Vixen, sung in Czech at The Dallas Opera. Shortly after, she will travel to Germany to sing Mary in Der Fliegende Holländer at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Shannon will then debut at Deutsche Oper am Rhein as Leokadja Begbik in Kurt Weill's Der Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny. Returning to the Berlin Philharmonic, Shannon will sing Der Sandmann in their semi-staged production of Hänsel und Gretel. Rounding out her season, she will then make her debut in Asia as Adalgisa in the Japan Performing Arts Foundation and Tokyo Philharmonic’s semi-staged production of Norma.
In the 2025/2026 season, Shannon made her debut as Charlotte in Massenet's Werther at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago. Shannon then returned to Staatsoper Stuttgart to sing Suzuki in Puccini's Madama Butterfly before she had her debut in the same role at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Shannon then sang as Zweite Magd in Elektra under the baton of Vladimir Jurowksi. A victim of the Curse of CompetenceTM, Shannon was then heard in Munich in Rigoletto as a last minute replacement for Giovanna when it was discovered she can learn music overnight. Continuing her trend of Bavarian jump-ins, she sang as a replacement for Clotilde in Norma, and as a Blumenmädchen, Zweite Knappe, and Stimme aus der Höhe in Parsifal with Sebastian Weigle. She then traveled to the Tiroler Festspiele Erl to sing Mary in a new production of Der Fliegende Holländer. Finally, Shannon finished the summer in Norway at Oper Bergen in her role debut as Leokadja Begbik in Aufstieg und fall der Stadt Mahagonny. Fingers crossed her season of jump-ins and overnight learning sprees is now over.
In the summer of 2025, Shannon made her Glyndebourne debut as a Blumenmädchen in Wagner's Parsifal. Shannon also covered Rosina in the revival production of Il barbiere di Siviglia while at Glyndebourne and made such an impression (for better or worse) that she was invited back for her principal debut in 2028.
As a member of the Staatsoper Stuttgart Opernstudio for the 22/23 and 23/24 seasons, Shannon made several important debuts such as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Der Sandmann in Hänsel und Gretel, Roßweise in Die Walküre, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Zweite Dame in Barrie Kosky's staging of Die Zauberflöte, Stimme des Ungeborenen in Die Frau ohne Schatten, and Die Schwester in the world premiere of Bernhard Lang's Dora, winner of Opernwelt's World Premiere of the Year 2024. She was also part of the construction of the sound installation Erda Speaking HELLOHELLO premiered in 2023 and revived in 2024.
*That last sentence didn't age well... in a shock turn of events, Shannon was asked to step in mid performance to sing Adalgisa in Norma at the Bayerische Staatsoper. With no rehearsal (and never having sung the role) Shannon took over for an ailing colleague and sang Adalgisa from the side of the stage for the second act while her colleague walked the role. The audience was thrilled by her success and by the magnificent show of artistic solidarity as all three women- Norma, Adalgisa, and Adalgisa 2.0- embraced during the final duet. She then finished the performance in her assigned role of Clotilde.
*That last sentence didn't age well... in a shock turn of events, Shannon was asked to step in mid performance to sing Adalgisa in Norma at the Bayerische Staatsoper. With no rehearsal (and never having sung the role) Shannon took over for an ailing colleague and sang Adalgisa from the side of the stage for the second act while her colleague walked the role. The audience was thrilled by her success and by the magnificent show of artistic solidarity as all three women- Norma, Adalgisa, and Adalgisa 2.0- embraced during the final duet. She then finished the performance in her assigned role of Clotilde.
Shannon completed her time as an Apprentice in The Santa Fe Opera's 2024 season, covering Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier. She also sang in the Apprentice Scenes program as Der Komponist from Ariadne auf Naxos and The Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen.
Shannon made her recital debut as part of Carnegie Hall's Citywide Series, presenting a “quasi operatic” (Classical Explorer) interpretation of Schubert's Schwanengesang to much acclaim. A month later, she brought the same recital to The Antwerp Lied Festival for her European recital debut. Her next adventure with the Belgian company is Schubert’s Winterreise.
Away from opera, Shanny is an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy. Famously, she has been known to say "if it doesn't have a dragon in it, I don't care." Afflicted with the typical ADHD need for multiple hobbies, Shanny also paints watercolor, embroiders, writes poetry and novels, and has begun dabbling in the obscure art of shortbread biscuit baking. Reliable as a personality hire, Shanny also enjoys wreaking general havoc and provoking mischief.