Cameroonian-Ugandan-American mezzo-soprano Veena Akama-Makia has been praised in the operatic world, for her voice like “burnished metal”   (The Theatre Times) and for having a “sweet mezzo voice of clarity” (Operawire). Currently a Jette Parker Artist at the Royal Opera House, Veena continues to dazzle in her 2024-25 season with roles such as Annina in La Traviata, Mércèdes in Carmen, and Inès in Il Trovatore. She will also cover notable roles including La Voix and La Muse in Les Contes D’Hoffmann and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel.

In the 2023-24 season, Akama-Makia made her house debut at the Royal Opera House, performing roles such as Giovanna in Rigoletto, Zweite Magd in Elektra, and Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. She also covered the roles of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Mary in Der fliegende Holländer, and Bersi in Andrea Chénier. This season also marked her Royal Philharmonic debut and role debut 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. Additionally, she was a standout at the Chicago Opera Theater, debuting roles such as Tawny Betty in the world premiere of Quamino’s Map and Nancy in Albert Herring. In the summer of 2022, Veena was a Young Artist with San Francisco Opera’s renowned Merola Opera Program, where she portrayed Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte and earned praise for her solo performances in the Merola Grand Finale

Veena Akama-Makia has been recognized with numerous awards, including being the winner of the 2023 American Opera Society of Chicago Best Vocal Artist Award, a Finalist in the 2023 Butler International Opera Competition, a 2023 Annapolis Opera Voice Competition Semi-finalist, a 2022 & 2021 Encouragement Award Winner from The Metropolitan Opera’s Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition-Illinois District, Semi-Finalist in the 2022 Irene Dalis Vocal Competition, Tier I Semi-Finalist in the James Toland Vocal Competition, a Finalist in the Jesse Kneisel Lieder Competition, a Finalist in the 2020 Mildred Miller Competition, Semi-Finalist in the 2020 Premiere Opera Foundation, and NYIOP International Competition, Semi-Finalist in the 2020 Rochester International Vocal Competition, Semi-Finalist in the 2021 Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, and received 2nd place in the 2022 Musicians Club of Women Vocal Competition.

Ms. Akama-Makia is an alumna of the Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Program, the Chicago Opera Theater Young Artist Program, Merola Opera Program, the Finger Lakes Opera’s Tomita Young Artist Program, and the Rochester Fringe Festival. She received her Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and earned her Bachelor of Music at the University of Central Arkansas.