Megan Marino

More about meG

American mezzo-soprano Megan Marino has been praised by Opera News as “a gifted actress with a strong, appealing voice, graced by a rich lower register,” who appears both “authoritative and carefree.” Her ability to disappear into a character grounds emotionally incisive performances across genres and eras, and her collaborative approach has made her a favorite colleague of creatives and performers alike across the industry.

Marino is a regular performer with The Metropolitan Opera since her 2013 debut as the Voice of an Unborn Child in Die Frau ohne Schatten, singing Flora in La traviata, Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Second Wood Sprite in Rusalka, Laura in Iolanta, Myrtale in Thaïs, and Feodor in Boris Godunov. She is also a frequent performer at The Atlanta Opera, where she has appeared as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sesto Pompeo in Giulio Cesare, Olga in Eugene Onegin, a gender-bent Beppe in Pagliacci, and the title role in the world premiere of The Threepenny Carmen, and at Santa Fe Opera, where her roles have included Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Meg Page in Falstaff, and Suzuki in Madame Butterfly. When she returned to Santa Fe as Annina in Der Rosenkavalier during the summer of 2024, Opera Today called her “an animated, laser-voiced delight,” noting that “Marino may cut a petite figure, but don’t underestimate her firepower. Her potent mezzo-soprano was well-rounded, cheekily hurled into the house, and even throughout the range.”

Engagements for the 2025-2026 season include workshops of new crossover work with Opera Montana as Heidi in A River Runs Through It, Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia with Opera Baltimore, and a tour of The Dialogue of Memories with Music of Remembrance, with performances in Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Appearances in the 2024-2025 season included Ms. Marino’s role debut as The Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd with Utah Opera and subsequent performances with Opera Maine (singing the Beggar Woman and covering Mrs. Lovett), Olga in Eugene Onegin in her company debut with the Canadian Opera Company in Robert Carsen’s iconic production, and Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro in her company debut with Pensacola Opera. She also premiered new works by Evan Mack at Skidmore College and traveled to Kyoto, Japan, to sing Flora in Seiji Ozawa Music Academy’s La traviata.

Marino recently debuted as Elsa Schraeder in The Sound of Music at Houston Grand Opera and as Maddalena in Rigoletto with OperaDelaware. In the spring of 2024, she was honored to create three of the four roles in a world premiere opera Before It All Goes Dark by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer. Opera Magazine noted the “great emotional responsibility,” praising Marino’s “admirable work finding distinct timbres for each role” in “an eloquently poignant performance.”

Although her early career was built on spirited roles such as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Florida Grand Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Kentucky Opera, Virginia Opera), Angelina in La Cenerentola (Palm Beach Opera, Sarasota Opera), Meg Page in Falstaff (Dallas Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera), Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel (Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Iowa), and Annina in Der Rosenkavalier (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Marino’s versatility and varied creative interests lend themselves particularly well to new works that capitalize on her theatrical capabilities and genuine communicative gifts. Roles of particular interest to the artist include the title role of Mignon, Jenny in Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Fosca in Passion, and Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking.

Ms. Marino can be heard on several commercial recordings, including Weill’s Road of Promise with MasterVoices at Carnegie Hall and Higdon’s Cold Mountain with Santa Fe Opera. With her longtime recital partner, pianist John Arida, she recorded It’s You I Like, an album of classically anchored music for children, and The Travelled Road: The Music of Evan Mack. Her concert credits include Händel’s Messiah with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem with Boston Boys Choir, Bach’s St. John Passion with American University of Beirut, Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Orchestra of St. Luke’s at the Caramoor International Music Festival, and Haydn’s Mass No. 6 at Carnegie Hall.

Ms. Marino received training as a Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist and recipient of an Aspen Opera Theater Fellowship. Numerous awards and honors from Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Competition, Marcello Giordani Foundation, Oratorio Society of New York, George London Foundation, Opera Index, and Gerda Lissner Foundation helped bridge the gap between training and her professional career. Today, Marino pays that support forward as a member of the vocal faculty of the Taos Opera Institute. A true believer in the collective good, she was an active board member of AGMA from 2019-2022, serving on several committees as well as collective bargaining and effects bargaining negotiations.

A dual American and Italian citizen, Marino balances long stretches on the road with time at home in Colorado, where she enjoys outdoorsy adventures with her husband, baritone Michael Mayes, and their dog Peak. Meg also serves as co-founding Executive Director of the Creede Musical Arts Collective, which brings all genres of musical artists to the San Luis Valley.

Current as of November 2025