Mia Athey
Mia Athey, mezzo-soprano, is a multifaceted performer, telling stories through opera, musical theatre, dancing and writing. She has been praised for her “plush mezzo” and “sincere delivery” by Opera Today.
This summer, Mia will be returning to The Glimmerglass Festival stage as a Young Artist for her third season where she will sing her first lead role as Aishah McNair in the world premiere of The Knock by Aleksandra Vrebalov and Deborah Brevoort; and sing in the Ensemble of the world premiere of The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, starring Denyce Graves, by Sandra Seaton and Carlos Simon. She will also be featured in the To the World musical theater concert directed by Eric Sean Fogel and conducted by Jim Lowe, sing in the Gods and Mortals Wagner concert and cover the 2nd and 3rd Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute with English translation by Kelley Rourke.
In spring 2022, Mia is thrilled to return to Minnesota Opera as a guest artist in Bizet’s Carmen as Mercedes, directed by Denyce Graves. She will also participate in the digital world premiere of the Edward Tulane Choral Suite by Paola Prestini.
As a Resident Artist with Minnesota Opera from 2019-2021, Mia spent a part of her first season and all her second season creating art and music from her Minneapolis apartment during the pandemic. Not letting that stifle her artistry and with the support of Minnesota Opera, Mia created a one woman showcase of Opera and Broadway favorites which she produced, directed, filmed, choreographed, performed and edited all from her apartment. She virtually participated in Opera in the Outfield, the Minnesota Opera Gala, and covered Nancy in Britten’s Albert Herring.
In her first season with Minnesota Opera, Mia portrayed the roles of Maidservant 2 in Elektra. She covered the Minskwoman in Flight, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and was the study cover for Rosina in The Barber of Seville. Before it’s cancellation due to the pandemic, she sang in the chorus and covered Nellie/Fancy Doll #3 for the upcoming world premiere of Edward Tulane.
In the summer of 2019, she made two professional debuts as a Young Artist with The Glimmerglass Festival: first with her dancing debut in Show Boat, while singing in the Ensemble and second with her operatic debut in the world premiere of Blue as Girlfriend/Congregant #3 while covering the Mother. She also covered Susanna in The Ghosts of Versailles. Due to the pandemic, Mia’s second season with The Glimmerglass Festival was solely virtual. During the fall of 2020, Mia participated in her first virtual workshop portraying Aishah McNair in The Knock.
A native of Hyattsville, Maryland, Mia graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Voice from The Catholic University of America and received her Master of Music in Voice from The College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). In 2018, Mia won 4th place in the Three Arts Scholarship Fund in the Vocal Music Division.
Other roles performed by Mia include, Tina in Dinner at Eight, the Baroness in Candide, and La Maestra delle Novizie in Sour Angelica, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, La Zelatrice in Suor Angelica, L’opinion Publique in Orphée aux enfers and Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette. Concert repertoire includes performances of Stravinksy’s Les Noces, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Neue liebeslieder by Brahms, and Handel’s Messiah.
