Marley performs on Show 439.

Marley Isabella Matejka (voice), 17, is a lyric coloratura soprano studying at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, Marley came to opera from a childhood background in theatre, where she enjoyed playing roles such as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Eva in But the Giraffe and Brundíbar.

After a Montessori school field trip to see The Magic Flute, Marley became enamored with the otherworldly vocals of opera, and at age 12, she began classical training while continuing to perform in school choirs, community theatre, and show choir. During her freshman year, she decided to focus exclusively on classical voice and transferred to Walnut Hill, where she studies with Matthew Anderson, Teresa Winner Blume, and Elaine Smith Purcell.

At Walnut Hill, Marley has performed in several fully staged operas, including Dido and Aeneas, Orpheus in the Underworld, and The Little Prince. As part of her studies, she performed with the Youth Chorale at the New England Conservatory in Boston for two years and currently sings in the school choir under the direction of Cailin Marcel Manson.

In addition to her musical studies, Marley is also passionate about issues of social justice and activism, serving as a Diversity and Inclusion representative for her school and co-founding a student organization dedicated to creating safe, empowering spaces and community for students who self-identify as non-normative or who occupy minority spaces of any kind. She is also the co-leader of Sister to Sister, an affinity group for Black female-identifying students. A senior, Marley is applying to a range of conservatories both in America and abroad.

Orli has joined From the Top as Guest Host on Show 420, Show 422,  Show 404, Show 405, Show 390, Show 389, Show 379, Show 380, and Show 361.

A consummate musician recognized for her grace, subtlety, and brilliance, the pianist Orli Shaham is hailed by critics on four continents. The New York Times called her a “brilliant pianist,” The Chicago Tribune referred to her as “a first-rate Mozartean,” and London’s Guardian said Ms. Shaham’s playing at the Proms was “perfection.”

Orli Shaham has performed with many of the major orchestras around the world, and has appeared in recital internationally, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. She is Artistic Director of Pacific Symphony’s chamber series Café Ludwig in California since 2007 and was Artist in Residence at Vancouver Symphony (USA) in 2022-2024.

Highlights of Ms. Shaham’s 2024-2025 concert season include performances of concertos written for her by David Robertson with Utah Symphony and by Steven Mackey at Tanglewood, and the Beethoven Triple Concerto with her brother, violinist Gil Shaham. Chamber recitals across the country include Dumbarton Oaks, Music at Menlo, La Jolla, and more.

In 2024, Orli Shaham released the final volumes of the complete piano sonatas by Mozart to high critical acclaim. Her discography includes over a dozen titles on Deutsche Gramophone, Sony, Canary Classics and other labels. Orli Shaham is on the piano and chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School and is a Co-Host and Creative for the national radio program From the Top. She is also Artistic Director of the interactive children’s concert series, Orli Shaham’s Bach Yard, which she founded in 2010, and is chair of the Board of Trustees of Kaufman Music Center.

Orli Shaham is a Steinway Artist

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