Miya Higashiyama

Asian-American mezzo-soprano Miya Higashiyama (pronounced Mee-ya) was recently seen at Des Moines Metro Opera this past summer where she sang Moth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Britten as part of their 50th anniversary season. This spring, Miya makes her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in Lyric Unlimited’s The Scorpions’ Sting as Molly Brown. In January 2022, Miya sang the role of Rachel in the Midwest premiere of Jake Heggie’s new opera If I Were You with Northwestern Opera Theatre. A recent graduate from Northwestern, she also sang Dorabella in Cosi Fan Tutte and Sesto in Giulio Cesare, covered Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus, and sang La Messaggiera in a virtual video production of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo. Miya has won Encouragement Awards in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and placed as one of thirteen national semifinalists in the NATS Classical Singing Competition in 2021. She has also participated in masterclasses with Joyce DiDonato, Stephanie Blythe, and Gil Kalish. Miya currently resides in Chicago and sings regularly with Church of the Ascension under the direction of Benjamin Rivera.