Mezzo-soprano Rehanna Thelwell has been applauded for her “superb and expressive power” by the South Florida Classical Review while her “dynamic presence” has been noted by the Washington Post. Her performances have been described as having “thrilling commitment and dramatic intelligence” with “hair-raising intensity” by the Washington Classical Review and KDHX. 

The New Jersey native returned to the Cafritz Young Artist program of Washington National Opera for their 2020-2021 season after a successful first year in which she appeared as Third Lady in the Young Artist production of The Magic Flute as well as Conchetta in the American Opera Initiative new work, Night Trip. Along with her mainstage roles, Thelwell had the opportunity to workshop new works with Esperanza Spalding for Iphigenia and Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek for The Listeners. Additional engagements for 2020-2021 included joining the National Symphony Orchestra as the Narrator for Portrait of a Queen, recording Blue with Washington National Opera, her mainstage debut with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Aunt Lou in Highway 1, U.S.A, and Opera in the Park with Madison Opera. The 2021-2022 season sees her 3rd year with the Cafritz Young Artist program of Washington National Opera where she will sing a performance of the title role in Carmen. Additionally, she joins the South Florida Symphony Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah, makes her debut with Opera Philadelphia as Jocasta in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex, and sings Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Memphis Symphony.