Soprano MaKayla McDonald is an active performer of opera, art song, and new work.  She recently premiered the role of Nella Larsen in Fizz & Ginger, a new jazz opera, by Whitney George and Bea Goodwin. This past spring MaKayla completed work with the American Opera Project and New York University/Tisch for their 2023 Opera Lab. This project centers emerging opera composers and librettists’ works paired with professional singers.

Recent engagements include: St. Matthew Passion with Musica Sacra and the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center, faculty recitals at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, New Muses Project at the Kaufman Center presenting a concert of “hidden choral gems and chamber music,” concerts with the Boston Camerata, contemporary works with ChamberQUEER at National Sawdust, a Juneteenth Concert with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, AOP + NYU/Tisch Opera Lab 2022, and a recital for Butler University, Jordan College of the Arts Black History Month Arts Celebration.

In Summer 2021, MaKayla had her Dallas premiere on the Winspear Opera House stage with Das Blümelein Project. She sang the role of Rose of Sharon in the world premiere of A Lily Among Thorns. The song cycles (Songs of the Rose of Sharon + Fragments from the Song of Songs) of John La Montaine as a monodrama for soprano + piano + dance.

In Fall 2020 - Summer 2021, MaKayla was a participant in the Opera in the 21st Century Program with Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. In conjunction with her residency, MaKayla produced and sang in a workshop of Jeremy Beck’s monodrama Black Water. MaKayla collaborated with composer Jeremy Beck, audio engineer and pianist Tommy Truelsen, director Ella Marchment, and dancer Havanna Fisher to reimagine this work with piano track + movement.

In 2020, MaKayla returned to New Camerata Opera to premiere the role of Marie in Julie, a short film based on the life of Julie d’Aubigny. This film was an official selection at the 2020 Concepción Independent Film Awards in Concepción, Chile. MaKayla was meant to join Manhattan Concert Productions as a soprano ringer for Symphony Chaco at Lincoln Center, this 2020 engagement was cancelled due to Covid-19. 

 As a supporter of new and contemporary works, MaKayla has premiered various art songs and roles. Most notably, she worked with renowned composer Thea Musgrave for the New York premiere of The Story of Harriet Tubman (2018), as the title character. Recently, she was featured on BBC Radio 3 during a feature with Musgrave about her chamber operas. 

 An active recitalist, MaKayla sang for New England’s Calliope’s Call in their Summer 2021 recital I, Too, Sing America. Prior engagements include: University of Pennsylvania’s The Varied Carols I hear (2019), a celebration of the works of Walt Whitman and again with Calliope’s Call for their concert called, Songs of Gratitude (2020).

Originally from Waterloo, Iowa, MaKayla grew up surrounded by various genres of music and found her voice through show choir and musical theatre. Interested in being on stage, MaKayla pursued degrees in Voice Performance at the University of Northern Iowa. She holds both a Master of Music and Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. 

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MaKayla currently resides in Brooklyn, NY and is an Adjunct Lecturer for the Borough of Manhattan Community College Music and Art Department (BMCC-CUNY).  Offstage, you can usually find MaKayla in the kitchen trying a new recipe, cozied up reading a book, or enjoying the sights and foods of NYC!

Curriculum Vitae available upon request.

Hi, hi! I’m MaKayla (she/her). I’m a musician & educator living and working in NYC.