Mia Mandineau
A recent SUNY Fredonia graduate was one of only four people selected for a prestigious opera residency following an international search.
Mia Mandineau, who received her master’s degree in Voice Performance in May, will spend the 2025-26 season with Detroit Opera’s Resident Artist Program.
More than 800 artists applied for the four spots in the program, which is led by renowned opera coach and pianist Nathalie Doucet, Detroit Opera’s head of music.
“I wanted to continue my training in the U.S. and the program at Detroit Opera felt like a great way to start my professional life while being mentored by some of the best musicians in the country,” Ms. Mandineau said. “I’ve been lucky enough to work with Nathalie Doucet before, so I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with her daily for the next year.”
One of the goals of the resident artist program is to support Detroit Opera’s “longstanding focus on making opera accessible to the surrounding community.”
Mandineau, a soprano originally from Paris, will spend 2025-26 performing recitals, concerts, and other collaborations with local schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and institutions. Resident artists also perform regularly during the season for patients at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital and in public concerts throughout Detroit and the state of Michigan.
Mandineau said her time at SUNY Fredonia prepared her well for this next step in her musical journey. She noted she could not have landed the Detroit Opera residency without the “incredible mentorship and support” of her teachers.
“My time at Fredonia is the reason I got into this program,” she said. “I've been mentored by amazing faculty: Professor Don Marrazzo, with whom I’ve been studying voice for eight years now, and with whom I’m thrilled to continue working next year, as he is also the voice teacher for the Detroit Opera Resident Artist Program; Dr. Anne Kissel, who coached me for two years and who has helped me take my audition repertoire to the next level; as well as Dr. Emily Schaad, [SUNY Distinguished Teaching] Professor Paul Mockovak, Professor I-Fei Chen, and [SUNY Distinguished Teaching] Professor [Emeritus] Julie Newell, with whom I've worked with for performances during my two years at Fredonia.”
Mandineau had many “milestone” performances during her time at Fredonia.
“The biggest for me was singing my first fully staged opera role — Fiordiligi in ‘Così fan tutte’ with Hillman Opera last fall. It was a major challenge, and I was so glad to face it with such a wonderful team,” she said. “I also had the chance to sing my first musical theatre role this year — Mother Abbess in ‘The Sound of Music’ — and to perform four times with the Western New York Chamber Orchestra.”
There is one performance, however, that will always hold special meaning for Mandineau.
“The performance I’ll cherish most is my [SUNY Fredonia] Concerto Competition-winning performance with the Chamber Orchestra and Dr. [Emily] Schaad,” she said. “I sang Desdemona’s scene from Verdi’s ‘Otello’ — a role that Professor Newell has sung many times in her career. She has been such a great support of me and has given me great advice about the soprano life, that I felt a special connection to her during this performance. It is a moment I will cherish forever.”
As a performer, Mandineau explained she draws inspiration from a variety of artists.
“Right now, I’m obsessed with Beyoncé,” she said. “I admire her incredible attention to detail, her flawless technique, and her outstanding stage presence.”
Mandineau and the other resident artists will participate in “an intensive program” while living in Detroit from September 2025 through May 2026. With Doucet as their main coach, they will train in specially crafted and individualized curricula covering voice, movement, language, and career guidance.
In addition to hands-on training and mainstage performances with Detroit Opera, resident artists receive mentorship by a wide range of guest professionals throughout the season and work closely with the Detroit Opera staff. All resident artists begin on a one-year contract, and selected artists are invited to participate in a second year.
