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 returned to San Francisco Opera in the 2023-2024 Season to cover the role of Third Lady in The Magic Flute. Additional appearances included reprising the role of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with West Bay Opera and making her Opera Columbus debut as Larina in Eugene Onegin. In the 2024-2025 Season she made her Opera San José debut as Third Lady in The Magic Flute under the baton of Alma Deutscher and appeared in concert singing works by Richard Wagner, Elinor Armer, Aleksandra Vrebalov, and Julie Barwick. 2025-2026 appearances will include Verdi's Requiem with the Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra and Mozart's Requiem with the Columbus Symphony.
2022-2023 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 2021-2022 Season, Ms. Kaganskaya performed the roles of 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.
Roles in previous seasons 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.
2025-2026 Season:
Opera San José
First Friday
Soloist
11.7.2025, 5:30 pm
California Theatre, 345 South 1st St, San Jose, CA
Opera San José
Madama Butterfly
Role: Suzuki (cover)
11.16.2025, 2:00 pm
11.21.2025, 7:30 pm
11.23.2025, 2:00 pm
11.29.2025, 2:00 pm
11.30.2025, 2:00 pm
California Theatre,
340 S Market St, San Jose, CA
Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra
Verdi: Requiem
Mezzo-soprano Soloist
1.2.2026, 7:30 pm
1.3.2025, 3:00 pm
1.4.2025, 3:00 pm
Hertz Hall, University of California, Berkeley,
101 Cross-Sproul Path, Berkeley, CA
Columbus Symphony
Mozart/Spears: Requiem
Mezzo-soprano Soloist
1.23.2026, 7:30 pm
1.24.2025, 7:30 pm
Ohio Theatre,
39 E State St, Columbus, OH
SF Sequioas
Recital with pianist Alla Gladysheva
2.10.2026, 7:00 pm
1400 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA
West Edge Opera
Snapshot 2026
Niloufar Nourbakhsh/Lisa Flanagan: Threshold of Brightness
Role: Forough Farrokhzad
Isaac Io Schankler/Aiden K. Feltkamp: The Joining
Role: Frem
2.28.26 3:00 pm
First Congregational Church, Berkeley,
2345 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA
3.1.26 3:00 pm
The Taube Atrium Theater,
401 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA
Ms. Kaganskaya is represented by Piper Artists Management. For booking, please contact:
