Lyric mezzo-soprano, Halley Pearlstein’s strong musicianship, dramatic engagement, vocal versatility, and approachable demeanor make her a refreshing and competitive force in the world of classical music. Her favorite operatic roles include Hänsel, Donna Elvira, Quickly, Prince Orlofsky, Frugola, Mrs. Herring, Meg Page, and Alma March. During the summer of 2013 she debuted the role of Mrs. Who in the Act I world premiere of Libby Larsen’s A Wrinkle in Time.  

 

She has worked with distinguished artists, including  Julie Simson, Leigh Holman, Nicholas Carthy, Abigail Nims, Richard Crittenden, Elizabeth Vrenios, Mutsumi Moteki, and Barbara Caprilli.  In 2013 she was  recognized as a finalist in the graduate division of Colorado/Wyoming NATS, and was a recipient of the Doscher JB Graduate Voice Scholarship at the University of Colorado. 

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In 2019, Halley sang performances of Candide, Rossini's Stabat Mater, and Bernstein's Kaddish with Philadelphia Orchestra at Verizon Hall as part of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir. 

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Other professional choral engagements have included section leader and soloist positions at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Freehold, NJ, Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ, and First and Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE. 

 

 Halley is a passionate recitalist, and enjoys performing contemporary and standard song repertoire. She has sung such standard repertoire as Britten’s A Charm of Lullabies, Poulenc’s Banalités, Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder, as well as selections from Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne and Argento’s From the Diary of Virginia Woolf. She is also very enthusiastic about performing works by Jewish composers. She began her exploration of Yiddish art songs with a set of songs by Lazar Weiner, featured on her recital at the University of Delaware in 2012.  In 2017 Halley collaborated with renowned harpist, Samuel Milligan. They performed Milligans' Nine Sephardic Songs for voice and harp, arrangements of folksongs with Ladino text. 

 

As an interpreter of chamber music, Halley has recorded Frank Martin's Quatre Sonnets à Cassandre and Trois Chants de Noel featuring flutist Valerie Johnson. The album is available on Apple Music  and Amazon Music. 

 

Halley holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied privately with mezzo-soprano, Abigail Nims. Halley graduated summa cum laude from the University of Delaware where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance and a minor in Music Management, and studied with sopranos, Noël Archambeault and Marie Robinson. Halley resides in High Bridge, New Jersey, where she maintains a private studio and is pursuing performing opportunities across the Northeast.