Mikaela Bennett

Mikaela Bennett is a graduate of the Juilliard School and is celebrated as a singer and actress for her work on stage and in the concert hall. She most recently appeared as a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel performing “Aurora” by Wayne Shorter. In 2019, Bennett was honored by Lincoln Center with a “Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists.” In May 2019, she made her critically acclaimed debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago playing “Maria” in Lyric’s production of West Side Story. In July 2019, Bennett starred in the title role in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the MUNY, and in August 2019, she returned to the BBC Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra, performing music from the Warner Bros film studio, broadcast live on British television. In November 2019, she sang the role of Mary Wintergreen in MasterVoices’ concert production of Gershwin’s Let ‘Em Eat Cake at Carnegie Hall.

On stage, Bennett made her professional debut starring as “Penelope” in The Golden Apple at City Center Encores! She originated the role of “Norma” in Dick Scanlan and Carmel Dean’s new musical Renascence in New York City, and at the 2018 Prototype Festival, she originated the title role of “Acquanetta” in a new opera composed by Michael Gordon and directed by Daniel Fish.

In the concert hall, Bennett has made her debuts with some of the world’s leading orchestras and foremost conductors in America and the United Kingdom. In August 2018, Bennett made her BBC Proms debut at London’s Royal Albert Hall, starring as “Maria” in the John Wilson Orchestra’s concert production of West Side Story to critical and public acclaim. She has made her debuts with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Slatkin and the Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin. She performed as a featured soloist in Bernstein on Broadway as part of the Leonard Bernstein 2018 centennial celebrations at the Kennedy Center, directed by Kathleen Marshall and conducted by Rob Fisher. She has collaborated multiple times with conductor Ted Sperling, most recently at Carnegie Hall performing Gershwin and as the soprano soloist in Händel’s Israel in Egypt with MasterVoices and the Orchestra of St Luke’s. She has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New World Symphony, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas for the world premiere of his work “Four Preludes on Playthings of the Wind.” She has also performed in New York City’s prestigious cabaret venues, including Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater and solo concerts at Feinstein’s/54 Below. 

Bennett is a native of Ottawa, Canada.