Elizabeth Hayes (she/they) is a mezzo-soprano and artistic advocate who is passionate about celebrating the queerness that is inherent in opera and classical music. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2015 with a bachelor of music in vocal performance, where they studied under Meredith Ziegler. While attending UConn, Elizabeth performed the title roles of Hélène (La belle Hélène), and L’enfant (L’enfant et les sortilèges). Upon graduating, Elizabeth began teaching private voice lessons and performing with smaller regional companies such as Hartford Opera Theater (Marie Curie in world premiere of Marie Curie Learns to Swim) and Greater Worcester Opera (Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro). In 2018 Elizabeth moved to Colorado and studied with Abigail Nims, where they won second place in Denver Lyric Opera Guild’s Colorado-wide opera competition and performed with Boulder Opera Company and Loveland Opera Theater. In 2021 Elizabeth moved to Buffalo, New York, and began studying with Dr. Ho Eui Holly Bewlay. Under Dr. Bewlay’s tutelage, Elizabeth won first place in the district, regional, and national NATS competition for Female Advanced Voice; was a district competitor in the Laffont Competition; and was accepted into The Juilliard School for the 2023–24 academic year. Elizabeth is currently directing and performing in an operatic film project entitled Pants Role: Transforming Tradition, which comments on the importance of elevating queer and trans stories in opera.

Lizzy is the recipent of the Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Rait Scholarship and The Sylvia Lucas Miller Scholarship in Music.