Mikaela Bennett is a celebrated singer and actress praised for her artistic versatility on stage and in concert halls around the world and is a recent recipient of the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists. Equally at home performing with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Disney Hall or starring in West Side Story (Maria) at the BBC Proms, Mikaela is a skilled interpreter across genres. Additional career highlights include her New York City solo recital debut at Alice Tully Hall; premiering an original composition by Michael Tilson Thomas with the San Francisco Symphony; her Lyric Opera of Kansas City debut in The Sound of Music (Maria); Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath (Rosasharn) with MasterVoices at Carnegie Hall; and Handel’s Israel in Egypt with MasterVoices and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall.
In the 25/26 season, Mikaela makes her LA Opera debut in the world premiere of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Hildegard (Richardis von Stade), followed by a return to the Prototype Festival in the same production—both produced by Beth Morrison Projects. She also returns to Bard SummerScape for the world premiere of Courtney Bryan’s Suddenly Last Summer (Catherine). On the concert stage, she debuts at Emerald City Music in a solo recital featuring the West Coast premiere of a new Molly Joyce song cycle and excerpts from Snider’s Penelope. In December 2025, she appears in Holiday Pops programs with the Grand Rapids, Toronto, and Edmonton Symphony Orchestras.
In the 24/25 season, Mikaela made her debut at Festival Musica Strasbourg in Ted Hearne’s contemporary oratorio The Source. Additional concert appearances included debuts with the Orlando Philharmonic for Mahler’s Symphony No. 4; Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in an all-Gershwin program; Kansas City Symphony for their Memorial Day concert Celebrate at the Station; and the Baltimore and Nashville Symphony Orchestras in Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite with the Aaron Diehl Trio. She also returned to the 92nd Street Y as a guest soloist for Hammerstein and His Sources. Operatic engagements included her debut at the Prototype Festival in In a Grove (Leona Raines/Leona’s Mother) and a return to The Glimmerglass Festival for the world premiere of Derek Bermel and Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street (Esperanza).
Ms. Bennett made her BBC Proms debut at London’s Royal Albert Hall in the John Wilson Orchestra’s concert production of West Side Story (Maria) to critical and public acclaim, and later returned to perform music from the Warner Bros. film studio with the same orchestra. She appeared as a featured soloist under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel with the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing Wayne Shorter’s Aurora; with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin; with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Slatkin; and with The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center for Zodiac Suite under Jader Bignamini. She also performed with the San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, and New World Symphony—conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas—in the world premiere of his Four Preludes on Playthings of the Wind. Mikaela frequently collaborated with conductor Ted Sperling, including Let ’Em Eat Cake (Mary Wintergreen) at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. She appeared in Bernstein on Broadway as part of the Leonard Bernstein centennial celebration at the Kennedy Center, directed by Kathleen Marshall and conducted by Rob Fisher. Additionally, she returned to Carnegie Hall with MasterVoices for A Joyful Noise featuring 10-time GRAMMY Award-winning gospel group Take 6.
On stage, Mikaela made her professional debut in The Golden Apple (Penelope) at City Center Encores! She originated the role of Norma in Dick Scanlan and Carmel Dean’s musical Renascence in New York City, and made her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in Francesca Zambello’s new production of West Side Story (Maria). She also appeared at The Glimmerglass Festival in The Sound of Music (Maria), starred in the title role in Cinderella at The MUNY, and created the title role in Michael Gordon’s Acquanetta, directed by Daniel Fish at the Prototype Festival. Continuing her collaboration with Fish, Ms. Bennett was featured in his concert version of The Most Happy Fella at Bard SummerScape. She made her Festival Napa Valley debut in Gianni Schicchi (Lauretta) under the baton of Kent Nagano. Mikaela also performed in New York’s premier cabaret venues, including Joe’s Pub at The Public and Feinstein’s/54 Below.
Recent highlights included recording Zodiac Suite with Aaron Diehl and The Knights conducted by Eric Jacobsen; returning to MasterVoices for Carmen (Micaëla) at Jazz at Lincoln Center; performing holiday concerts with The Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Brett Mitchell at Severance Hall; and appearing at Caramoor in Over the Rainbow: The Songs of Harold Arlen, conducted by Ted Sperling. She also made debuts with the Oakland Symphony in Zodiac Suite and with the San Diego Symphony in Broadway Romance under Rob Fisher.
Mikaela is a native of Ottawa, Canada, and a graduate of The Juilliard School.
2025-2026
