Veena Akama-Makia

Cameroonian-Ugandan-American mezzo soprano Veena Akama-Makia studied at the Eastman School of Music and University of Central Arkansas. She is an alumna of the Jette Parker Artists Programme, Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Program, the Chicago Opera Theater Young Artist Program, and the Merola Opera Program.

In the current season, she returns as guest artist to the Royal Ballet and Opera as Annina La traviata and Giovanna Rigoletto. She will also appear as the mezzo soprano soloist in Tippett’s A Child of Our Time with the Blackheath Halls Orchestra; and performs Jake Heggie’s The Work at Hand with PlayOut Chicago.

As a Jette Parker Artist at the Royal Ballet and Opera, she performed roles including Annina La traviata, Mércèdes Carmen, Inès Il trovatore, Herdswoman Jenůfa, Giovanna Rigoletto, Zweite Magd Elektra, Kate Pinkerton Madama Butterfly, La Mère Larmes de couteau, and The Queen Full Moon in March. She also covered the roles of Suzuki Madama Butterfly, Mary Der fliegende Holländer, Bersi Andrea Chénier, La Voix and La Muse Les contes d’Hoffmann, and the Witch Hansel and Gretel. During her time at the Royal Ballet and Opera she also made debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as Marta in a concert performance of Iolanta.

Her past engagements include being an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera, where she covered roles in Carmen and The Falling and Rising. She was a standout at Chicago Opera Theater, creating the role of Tawny Betty in the world premiere of Quamino’s Map and as Nancy Albert Herring. In the summer of 2022, she joined San Francisco Opera’s renowned Merola Opera Program, singing Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte and earning praise for her solo performances in the Merola Grand Finale.

Akama‑Makia has been recognised in several leading vocal competitions, earning an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition – Illinois District; as Semi‑Finalist in both the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition and the Tier I division of the James Toland Vocal Competition; and a Finalist in the Butler International and Mildred Miller Competitions. She has also been awarded Second Place in the Musicians Club of Women Vocal Competition and won the American Opera Society of Chicago’s Best Vocal Artist Award.