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The American soprano, Maya Kherani, graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with a B.S.E. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and certificates (minors) in Music Performance, Materials Science, and Robotics and Intelligent Systems (2006-2010). At Princeton, she received the Isidore and Helen Sacks Award for excellence in Music Performance and was a dancer and choreographer for Naacho South Asian Dance Company and a member and soloist in the Princeton University Glee Club. She holds a Master of Music degree with honors from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (2010-2012) and a Professional Certificate from the Boston University Opera Institute (2014-2016).
Maya Kherani’s numerous awards include semi-finalist in the 2020 Glyndebourne Cup, the 2015 McGlone Award from Central City Opera, 1st Place and Audience Favorite at the James Toland Vocal Competition, 2nd Place at the Peter Elvins Vocal Competition the Kalvelage Award at West Bay Opera’s Holt Competition, two Encouragement Awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the top overall Barlow Award at the San Francisco Bay Area NATS competition, where she also won 1st Place in both the Professional Art Song and Aria categories.
Maya Kherani has been lauded for her vibrant voice and exciting characterizations in repertoire from the Baroque to the modern. Praised for her "crystalline tone" by Opera News, she has sung over 30 operatic roles spanning her 6-year career. Recent engagements include Despina in W.A. Mozart's Così fan tutte and Lisette in La Rondine at Opera San Jose, Altisidore in Boismortier’s Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse at Central City Opera, her debut in the role of Meera in the world premiere of Jack Perla’s River of Light at Houston Grand Opera (HGOco), Jill in the world premiere of Britomarte in Martín y Soler’s L’arbore di Diana (The Chastity Tree) at West Edge Opera, Jill in the world premiere of Jack and Jill and the Happening Hill at Salt Marsh Opera, the title role of Semele Pocket Opera, and Frasquita in Georges Bizet's Carmen at West Bay Opera. Other premieres include Neil Rolnick’s Anosmia, released by Innova Records in 2013, and Dante de Silva’s “graphic opera” Gesualdo with Opera Parallèle. A passionate interpreter of early music, she has been featured with the American Bach Soloists (Director: Jeffrey Thomas), San Francisco Bach Choir, Amherst Early Music Festival, Early Music Vancouver, and American Handel Society Festival.
Most recent engagements include her European debut with the Fondazione Giorgio Cini – Seminari di Musica Antica singing the modern-world premiere of French Baroque works from Caribbean. She then returned to sing in a follow-up program, directed by Mr. Memelsdorff and Vivica Genaux. Additionally, she sang the title role of Partenope Opera NEO, Beatrice in Three Decembers and Belinda in Dido and Aeneas at Opera San Jose, Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera at West Edge Opera, Rosina at Cinnabar Theater, Laura Kaminsky’s Today It Rains at Opera Parallèle and Musetta in La Bohème at West Bay Opera.
Upcoming projects include a debut at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Versailles as Drusilla/Fortuna in L’incoronazione di Poppea with Leonardo García-Alarcón, a world premiere project as Piper in Pay the Piper at Glyndebourne, Mukhtar in Sankaram’s Thumbprint at Portland Opera, Muffat’s Missa in labore requies with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, George Frideric Handel's Messiah with Boston Baroque (Director: Martin Pearlman), Portland Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists and Rhode Island Philharmonic, Reena Esmail’s Meri Sakhi Ki Avaaz (My Sister’s Voice) with Berkeley Symphony, Susanna in W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at Opera San Jose, and Proserpina in Monteverdi’s Orfeo (concerts and recording) with Pacific MusicWorks in Seattle, conducted by Stephen Stubbs. |
