Chinese mezzo-soprano Cicely-Yishuo Hé, currently based in the United Kingdom, has cultivated a diverse and international career as both a recitalist and operatic performer. Her distinctive artistry has been recognized by critics: Boyd Tonkin (The Arts Desk) remarked that her voice “hinted at a voice to relish,” Yehuda Shapiro (The Stage) described it as “suitably silky as the Singer,” and David Truslove (Opera Today) praised her for delivering “well-prepared routines as petulant siblings, …snobbery and sense of entitlement suitably outlandish, and narrowly avoiding caricature.”

In recent years, she has performed with a number of renowned opera companies, including English Touring Opera, Longborough Festival Opera, Acadian Opera, Irish National Opera, Hurn Court Opera, and Northern Ireland Opera. She has also been invited to join the 2025 Garsington Opera Festival as an Emerging Artist. She has appeared in productions such as Die Walküre (Schweitleite and Grimgerde cover), Manon Lescaut (Madrigal Singer), Albert Herring (Florence Pike), La Cenerentola(Tisbe), Madam Butterfly(Zusuki), and the Mother of Sangsang in the world premiere of The Stone God, a new opera rooted in Chinese tradition by Nicholas Michael Smith OBE, premiered in London. As a soloist, Cicely has performed with prestigious ensembles such as the Ulster Orchestra, presenting works like Elgar’s Sea Pictures and Stanford’s Requiem. Her recital work spans both China and the UK.

She holds a Master of Music degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where she studied with Susan Waters, and previously trained under Dr. Valentin Lanzrein at Soochow University School of Music in Jiangsu, China. In 2024-2025, Cicely will continue her Advanced Postgraduate Diploma studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.