Russian-American Mezzo-Soprano Mariya Kaganskaya recently created the role of Teacher in the Santa Fe Opera’s world premiere production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, the recording of which earned the 2019 GRAMMY Award for Best Opera Recording. For Florida Grand Opera, she has performed Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Charlotte (cover)/Käthchen in Werther, Paula in Florencia en el Amazonas, Page in Salome, and Mrs. Rockefeller/Natalia in Frida. She recently performed Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, and Third Wood Sprite in Rusalka at Arizona Opera.
In the 2019-2020 Season, Ms. Kaganskaya makes virtual debuts with Baltimore Concert Opera, Bronx Opera, and PROJECT [BLANK], and is the the first US-based artist available for virtual gig booking on Lockdown Presents. Pre-lockdown performances included Malka in the premiere of Elijah's Violin.
Upcoming/postponed appearances include Ludmila in The Bartered Bride and a debut as the Mezzo soloist in Verdi’s Requiem, as well as a debut with Opera Ithaca.
Other recent roles include Olga in Eugene Onegin, Hostess in Boris Godunov, Marta in Iolanta, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea, the title role of Serse, La Nourrice in Milhaud's Médée, Mexican Woman in A Streetcar Named Desire, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti, Julia Bertram in Mansfield Park, and Malka in the premiere of Elijah’s Violin. Recent oratorio credits include performances as the Mezzo soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, and Handel’s Messiah.
Ms. Kaganskaya’s training includes residencies with the Santa Fe Opera, Arizona Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, and the iSing International Festival in China. She is an alumna of the OperaWorks Advanced Artist Program and the Russian Opera Workshop at the Academy of Vocal Arts, and earned her MM and PGD at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Catherine Cook.
Her recent awards include First Place in the Lois Alba Aria Competition, the St. Petersburg Opera Guild Competition, the Gershwin International Music Competition, the Pacific Musical Society Competition, and the Eastern Region of the NATS Artist Awards; Second Place in the Henry and Maria Holt Memorial Competition; Third Place in the Edward M. Murray International Competition of Voice, the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, and the East Bay Opera League Competition. She is a Winner of the most recent Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Foundation Competition and the inaugural Butler Opera International Competition, as well as the Pasadena Opera Guild Competition and the San Francisco District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the recipient of Encouragement Awards from the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition and the Western Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council.
Ms. Kaganskaya is represented by Piper Artists Management.
Hailed for her "rich mezzo" (OPERA Magazine), Mezzo-Soprano Mariya Kaganskaya will return in the 2026-27 Season to the Columbus Symphony for Beethoven's 9th Symphony and make her Livermore Valley Opera debut as La Suora Zelatrice in Suor Angelica. 2025-26 appearances included Verdi's Requiem with the Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra, Mozart's Requiem with the Columbus Symphony, and a return to West Edge Opera for Snapshot 2026, the company’s celebrated showcase of operatic works-in-progress, performing the roles of Forugh Farrokhzad in Threshold of Brightness (Nourbakhsh/Flanagan) and Frem in The Joining (Schankler/Feltkamp). In the 2024-25 Season she made her Opera San José debut as Third Lady in The Magic Flute and appeared in concert singing works by Richard Wagner, Elinor Armer, Aleksandra Vrebalov, and Julie Barwick. Her 2023-24 season included reprising Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with West Bay Opera, making her Opera Columbus debut as Larina in Eugene Onegin, and a return to San Francisco Opera, covering Third Lady in The Magic Flute.
2022-23 Season highlights include joining the San Francisco Opera roster to cover roles in Dialogues des Carmélites and releasing her debut solo album, To My Little Dreamer, on the Lexicon Classics label. In the 2021-22 Season, Ms. Kaganskaya performed Beppe in L'amico Fritz with Teatro Grattacielo, Rowan in the world premiere of We Wear the Sea Like a Coat and Sandman in an acclaimed film version of Hansel and Gretel with Opera Ithaca, Larina in Eugene Onegin with Opera Omaha, and Polina/Milovzor in Pique Dame with West Bay Opera.
Previous roles include Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Herodias (cover)/Page in Salome, Paula in Florencia en el Amazonas, and Charlotte (cover) in Werther at Florida Grand Opera, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, and Third Wood Sprite in Rusalka at Arizona Opera, and Teacher in the Santa Fe Opera’s world premiere production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, the recording of which earned the GRAMMY Award for Best Opera Recording.
Additional roles include Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Ottavia (L’incoronazione di Poppea), the title role of Serse, Olga (Eugene Onegin), Hostess (Boris Godunov), Marta (Iolanta), La Nourrice (Milhaud's Médée), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), and Julia Bertram (Mansfield Park). Oratorio credits include performances as the Mezzo soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, and Handel’s Messiah.
Ms. Kaganskaya’s training includes residencies with the Santa Fe Opera, Arizona Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, and the iSing International Festival in China. She is an alumna of the OperaWorks Advanced Artist Program and the Russian Opera Workshop at the Academy of Vocal Arts, and earned her MM and PGD at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Catherine Cook.
She has earned top awards in several national and international competitions, including First Place in the Classical Singer Competition (Emerging Professional Division), the Lois Alba Aria Competition, the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, the St. Petersburg Opera Guild Competition, the Gershwin International Music Competition, the Pacific Musical Society Competition, and the Eastern, Southeastern, and At Large Regions of the NATS Artist Awards; Second Place in the Henry and Maria Holt Memorial Competition; Third Place in the Edward M. Murray International Competition of Voice, the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, and the East Bay Opera League Competition, and Fifth Place/Special Encouragement Award from the Pasadena Vocal Competition. She is a Winner of the most recent Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Foundation Competition and the inaugural Butler Opera International Competition, as well as the Pasadena Opera Guild Competition and the San Francisco District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the recipient of Encouragement Awards from the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition and the Western Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council.
Ms. Kaganskaya is represented by Piper Artists Management. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, toddler son, and rescue dog.
