Mariya Kaganskaya
Mezzo Soprano

In the 2024-25 season Russian-American Mezzo-Soprano Mariya Kaganskaya performs Third Lady in The Magic Flute with Opera San Jose. Her most recent roles include Suzuki in Madame Butterfly with West Bay Opera, Larina in Eugene Onegin with Opera Columbus, and Third Lady in The Magic Flute with San Francisco Opera (cover). Recent engagements prior to that include Larina in Eugene Onegin with Opera Omaha, Pauline in Pique Dame with West Bay Opera, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Page in Salome, Paula in Florencia en el Amazonas for Florida Grand Opera, and Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, and Third Wood Sprite in Rusalka for Arizona Opera.  Ms. Kaganskaya also sang 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.

Ms. Kaganskaya has performed the roles of Mrs. Rockefeller/Natalia (Frida) and Käthchen (Werther), and study-covered the role of Charlotte (Werther) at Florida Grand Opera. Her other recently performed roles include Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Ottavia (L’incoronazione di Poppea), Serse (Serse), Olga (Eugene Onegin), Hostess (Boris Godunov), Marta (Iolanta), La Nourrice (Milhaud’s Médée), Mexican Woman (A Streetcar Named Desire), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), and Julia Bertram (Mansfield Park). Up and coming performances include the role of Rowan in the workshop of the new opera We Wear the Sea Like a Coat with Opera Ithaca.

Ms. Kaganskaya was a Studio Artist at Florida Grand Opera, and has been an Apprentice Singer at the Santa Fe Opera, a Marion Roose Pullin Studio Artist at Arizona Opera, a Mosher Studio Artist at Opera Santa Barbara, and a Young Artist at 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.

Recent awards include: Grand Prize Winner in the St. Petersburg Opera Guild, Winner, Butler Opera International Competition, Audience Choice, Lois Alba Aria Competition, Tier I Bell Encouragement Award, James Toland Vocal Arts Competition, Florida East Coast Chapter Winner, NSAL Dorothy Lincoln-Smith Competition, First Place, Gershwin International Music Competition, Polk Young Artist Award, Orpheus Vocal Competition, Young Artist Award, Pasadena Opera Guild, Silver Award, Holt Competition, San Francisco District Winner and Western Regional Encouragement Award, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and First Place/Lotfi Mansouri Award, Pacific Musical Society Competition.