Mary Mills is Visiting Lecturer in Voice in the Division of Vocal Studies from Berlin, Germany. Ms. Mills graduated from the College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati, received a master of music from Yale and has sung the great operatic roles on many of the major stages in Europe and the United States. Her repertoire ranges from Monteverdi to Mozart and Verdi, Puccini, Strauss and Wagner to Janáček along with contemporary works. She is equally at home in the Italian, French, German and Slavic repertoires and in the operas of her native United States, and has interpreted new and unfamiliar works from both early twentieth century and contemporary opera.

Mills made her debut with Houston Grand Opera, sang more than eighteen productions with San Francisco Opera, including the world premiere of the role of Cecile in Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons, and was acclaimed as Zdenka, Micaëla and Mimì at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She made her European debut as Charpentier's Louise in Geneva in 1992, a success that immediately resulted in invitations to the renowned Wexford Festival in Ireland (Camille in Herold's Zampa) and the Bregenz Festival (Olga in Giordano's Fedora). Ms. Mills originated the title role of Joan of Arc in Walter Braunfels' new opera Szenen aus dem Leben der Heiligen Johanna in a Christoph Schlingensief production at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin to rave reviews. In Paris, she enjoyed success with a series of French roles including Manon, Micaëla, and Marguerite at both the Opéra Bastille and the Palais Garnier.

Among her numerous competitions and awards, she has won the Metropolitan National Council Auditions, the George London Award, Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award at Dallas Opera, Washington Opera Singer of the Year, Florida Grand Opera Singer of the Year, and the Diva Award from Opera Company of Philadelphia.

Photo by Simon Pauly