Oberlin

Contributed by Julie Anna Gulenko

Oberlin College introduces us to voice major Siena Miller in this brand new student profile! Oberlin Conservatory is proud to offer abundant and diverse performance opportunities to our students, and Siena's upcoming performance with the Oberlin Sinfonietta this weekend is certainly one of those!

Mezzo-soprano Siena Miller '16 is in her final year of study at Oberlin as a student of Daune Mahy. She began her musical studies at the age of 5 as a violinist, playing for many years until delving into the world of classical singing.

This past summer, Miller was a Geradine Young Artist at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. She then participated in Marlena Malas' Chautauqua Institute, covering the title role in Handel's "Ariodante". A highlight of the summer was performing in an all Schubert concert with renowned pianist Craig Rutenberg, the former director of musical administration at the Metropolitan Opera.
In past summers, Miller attended the Oberlin in Italy program, singing the role of Suzy in Puccini's "La Rondine" and sang the role of Cherubino in "Le Nozze di Figaro" with the ViVace Opera program in Vancouver, B.C. In 2013, she was chosen as a finalist for the National Foundation of the Arts YoungArts residency program and participated in the Vocal Apprentice program at Astoria Music Festival, singing the role of Sorceress in "Dido and Aeneas". As a winner of the 2012 Van Buren Concerto Young Artist Competition, Miller performed as soloist with members of the Oregon Symphony. In addition, she received top prizes at both the Oregon State Activities Association Music Competition for mezzo-soprano and in the high school division for the Classical Singer Competition at Portland State University.
Miller has participated in master classes for such notable artists as Placido Domingo, Marilyn Horne, Craig Terry, and Minnesota Opera's Director Michael Christie '96.
In fall 2016, Miller plans to continue her vocal studies pursuing a graduate degree. She was raised in a bilingual home in Portland, Oregon, and holds citizenship in both the United States and Germany.