Originally from South Devon, Amy J Payne has worked with companies across the UK including Opera North, Scottish Opera, English Touring Opera, Garsington Opera, Mid Wales Opera, Buxton Festival, Iford Arts, D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Charles Court Opera and Northern Opera Group.

In 21/22 Amy covered the title role in a new production of Carmen for Opera North and returned to English Touring Opera to sing Amelfa in The Golden Cockerel. In Summer 2022 she reprised the role of Petra A Little Night Music for Opera North/Leeds Playhouse and debuted as Queen of the Fairies Iolanthe at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Buxton and Harrogate. Last season she sang Annina La traviata for Opera North, The Hunter Little Red Riding Hood for Northern Opera Group and Katisha The Mikado for Charles Court Opera. 2023 also saw a return to the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival as The Learned Judge in a new production of Trial by Jury with Opera North Youth Company.

Amy trained at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she was awarded the English Song Prize. She is also a Samling Scholar and holds a Bachelor Honours degree in French and German from King’s College, London.

On the concert platform, Amy recently sang Elgar’s Sea Pictures with the Opera North Youth Orchestra in their inaugural concert and in 2020 made her debut for Leeds Lieder in The Diary of One who Disappeared (Janacek) with tenor Nicky Spence, accompanied by Joseph Middleton.

Amy also works as a non-singing actor. Recent acting credits include Jean Cocteau’s spoken Le bel indifferent (Duet for One Voice) at Leeds Playhouse for the Connecting Voices Festival with Opera North and The Sunday Boys Present: We’ll Be Here Tomorrow at The Lowry, Salford.