Olivia Heaner

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, soprano Olivia Heaner graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Vanderbilt University, where she studied with tenor Dr. Tyler Nelson. Ms. Heaner is a recent graduate of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and studied under the tutelage of internationally renowned soprano Ah Young Hong. 

While attending Vanderbilt University, Ms. Heaner was a featured soloist in the Vanderbilt Chorale, and performed soprano solos in W.A Mozart’s Requiem, Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music, J.S. Bach’s Matthäus-Passion, and Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and also performed as a soloist on their debut album, Music in the Listening Place. Ms. Heaner also performed with Vanderbilt Opera Theater, covering the roles of Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) and The Old Lady (Candide), as well as performing in various opera scenes. 

In 2018, Ms. Heaner traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, where she made her European debut in the role of Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro), performing with Prague Summer Nights. Additionally, Ms. Heaner placed first in the Southwest Regional NATS competition in the Junior Women category, and in 2019, third in the Senior Women category. She was the 1st place winner in the Tennessee MTNA Young Artist Competition and placed second in the MTNA Regionals Competition. At the end of the 2019 school year, Ms. Heaner was awarded the Delene Laubenheim McClure Memorial Award for Opera Excellence. Ms. Heaner returned to Prague in 2019, performing the role of Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) with Prague Summer Nights at the Estates Theater.

In the fall of 2021, Ms. Heaner placed first in The Peabody Institute’s Art Song Competition’s graduate division. In the spring, Ms. Heaner was a finalist in the Institute's Sylvia Green Concerto Competition and performed the role of the Witch in Nicholas Hersch's arrangement of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel for Peabody Opera Theater’s Opera in Action program. In the summer of 2022, Ms. Heaner prepared the role of the Foreign Princess (Rusalka) and performed the title role of Antonin Dvorak's Rusalka with Utah Valley OperaFest. 

In the spring of 2023, Ms. Heaner was one of 14 semifinalists at the Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum Competition and performed the role of Donna Elvira with Peabody Opera Theatre under the baton of Laurie Rogers. Upcoming engagements include performing the roles of Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Katie (Cold Mountain), and ensemble (Sweeney Todd and Brigadoon) with the Seagle Festival. Ms. Heaner lives in the city of Baltimore, MD with her cat, Cow, and is currently a student of Jordan Schreiner.