Olha Palazhchenko

Olha Palazhchenko is a Ukrainian-born mezzo-soprano based in Dublin, Ireland, and a current member of the Irish National Opera Studio (2025–2026). She possesses a dark, low-lying mezzo-soprano timbre and feels particularly at home in dramatic repertoire, including works by Verdi, Wagner, and verismo composers, while maintaining the versatility to perform a wide range of roles written for the mezzo-soprano voice. Her operatic repertoire includes Olga (Eugene Onegin), Ježibaba and the Third Wood Nymph (Rusalka), Romeo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Fenena (Nabucco), Maffio Orsini (Lucrezia Borgia), La Cieca (La Gioconda), Dalila (Samson et Dalila), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Third Lady (Die Zauberflöte), and Dido (Dido and Aeneas). While her voice is naturally suited to dramatic mezzo roles, her wide range and secure upper register allow her to approach both lyric and higher-lying mezzo repertoire with confidence. She began her vocal training as a soprano, which contributed to a particularly strong and reliable upper register.

In recent seasons, she has appeared with Irish National Opera as a chorus mezzo-soprano in productions including Der fliegende Holländer, L’elisir d’amore, Madama Butterfly, Rusalka, and Norma, and has covered the role of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. She has collaborated with conductors such as Fergus Sheil, Maurizio Benini, and Erina Yashima, and with directors including Daisy Evans, Netia Jones, and Orpha Phelan.

Her concert appearances include projects with Irish National Opera such as Music for Galway, Music Magic Mischief, and concerts in Limerick, as well as performances in Cork and Skibbereen. In 2018, she participated in Le vie dell’amicizia under the direction of Riccardo Muti in Kyiv. Olha holds a Junior Specialist Degree in Classical Voice from Mariupol Music College and is currently completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance at the Lysenko National Music Academy of Lviv. She has worked with coaches and repetiteurs including Brenda Hurley, Richard McGrath, Muriel Corradini, David Cowan, Hélio Vida, Eytan Pessen, and Richard Peirson. She performs in Italian, French, German, Czech, and Russian.