top of page
Mariana has preformed in many cities throughout Romania, Europe, and Brazil. She has collaborated with such well known artists and conductors such as: Iosif Ion Prunner, Enzo Benito Ferraris, Sabin Pautza, Cristian Mandeal, Adrian Stanache, M. Nilo, George Balint, Luiz Fernando Malheiro, Krzystof Penderecki, John Neschling, Paul Halley and others. She has also worked with the National Theater of Operetta “Ion Dacian” in Bucharest having as performance partners the very well known tenor Dorin Teodorescu, and soprano Eugenia Ilinca.
Highlights of her singing career have been performing with the “George Enescu" Philharmonic at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, Opera Constanta, The National Opereta Theater “Ion Dacian”, Bucharest, Romania, OSESP The Symphonic Orchestra of the State of Sao Paulo at the Sala Sao Paulo, the Teatro Amazonas Symphonic Orchestra in Manaus, the Teatro da Paz in Belem, the Teatro “Jose de Alencar” in Fortaleza, Brazil, the PostClassical Ensemble at the Family Theater at Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the Antares at Library of Congress in Washington DC and many more.
Dr. Mihai-Zoeter has studied opera repertoire with Hero Lupescu, Maria Slatinaru Nistor, Mariana Stoica and Silvia Voinea. Her repertoire includes the roles of “Despina” in Cosi fan tutte, “Zerlina” in Don Giovanni, “Musetta” in La Boheme, “Norina” in Don Pasquale, “Adina” in L’elisir d’amore, “Frasquita” in Carmen, “Lucy” in The Telephone by Menotti, "Colombina" in Le donne curiose, and the “Queen of the Night” in The Magic Flute. Her repertoire also includes operettas and musicals with roles such as: “Dolly” in Hello Dolly by J. Herman, “Christine” in Der Vogelhandler by K. Zeller, “Adele” in Die Fledermaus by Strauss, and others. The most recent opera role performed by Mariana was Colombina from Le donne curiose by Wolf-Ferrari under the direction of Pat Diamond (Wolf Trap production).
In choral performances, Dr. Mihai-Zoeter has performed as soloist in such works as: Lobgesang by Mendelssohn, Stabat Mater by Pergolesi, Messiah by Handel, the Requiem and Missa Solemnis by Mozart, the Ninth Symphony by Beethoven, Carmina Burana, Gloria by Vivaldi, Sinfonia #2 and Rita Dove Tryptic by Sabin Pautza, Elijah by Mendelsohn, and many, many others. For seven years Mariana sang with the Philharmonic “George Enescu” in Bucharest and was the soprano soloist of the Constanta Opera Theater. In 1999 she served as the musical director for National Television in Bucharest.
Competition experiences include a first prize in The National Competition of Music in Bucharest and in the 1st and 2nd International Competitions of Singing “Bido Sayão” in Belém, Pará (2000 and 2002). Also in 2001 she won the third place at The I Festival of MPB of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas-Brazil. In 2004 Mariana was chosen as a finalist in the Joyce Dutka Arts Foundation Vocal Competition in New York.
Mariana had wonderful teachers such as Maria Slatinaru Nistor, Mariana Nistor, Elisabeta Neculce Cartis, Ionel Voineag, Iulian Baiasu, Silvia Voinea, Pompei Harasteanu (Romania), Elvira Balderi Crimini, Marina Monarcha (Brazil), Nico Castel, Arlene Schrut, Janette Ogg, Michael Forest, Francois Loup (USA), and master classes with Renée Fleming, Renata Scotto, Anna Larson, Sherrill Milnes, Mikael Eliasen, Dale Schriemer.
A dedicated and beloved teacher, described by her students as being passionate, supportive, creative, inspired, dedicated, giving, determined, knowledgeable, outstanding leader, and professional Dr. Mihai-Zoeter won the 2016 Outstanding Faculty Award at the 2015-16 Leadership Awards Reception at the Frostburg State University. She was selected from a group of 16 other nominees from the entire university.
In 2012, Mariana received a Diploma and Medal of Excellence from her native city of Braila, Romania for artistic and pedagogic contributions to the vocal arts.
Mariana has taught at the State University of Amazonas, as voice teacher and choir conductor at the Federal University of Amazonas, and as a professor of voice at the "Carlos Gomes" Conservatory at the State University of Para in Belem, Pará Brazil, Frostburg State University in MD and she served as the head of the voice and opera program at the University of Southern Maine, ME, USA. Currently Mariana serves as the Teaching Artist for Cathedral Choral Society in Washington D.C., Artist in Residence for the Loudoun County Public Library, while she maintains a private voice studio Mariana's Vocal Arts.
As a clinician Mariana is frequently invited to teach master classes and summer courses at different universities and festivals. While in Brasil, Mariana taught master-classes/summer courses in Pelotas at The University of Rio Grande do Sul (2000), the School of Music at the Federal University of Brasília (2001), The Federal University of Pará and also at the 23rd Summer Music Festival in Brasília (2001), the 2nd, 4th and 5th International Festival of Music, “Eleazar de Carvalho” in Fortaleza, Brasil (1999, 2002, 2003), the XXX Meeting of Arts of The University Federal of Para, The School of Music (2003), Brazil and the 25th International Music Festival in Belem, PA (2012) were she gave master classes to more than 50 students and performed recitals and concerts with the Orchestra of the festival. In 2019 Mariana returned to Brasil where she was invited to give a series of master classes, presentations about voice and recitals, at UFRN-School of Music, Natal, RN; IFPE-School of Music, Recife, PE; Banda Sinfonica Henrique Marques Campinas, SP, Pro Artes Florianopolis, SC. In the USA Mariana taught at the The Performing Arts Camp and Shenandoah Performs, Shenandoah Conservatory (2007, 2008), The Virginia Governor’s School (2008, 2009), National Cathedral Choral Society (2019, 2020).
In São Paulo Dr. Mihai-Zoeter was a contracted singer in the chamber and symphonic choruses of the State Symphonic Orchestra of São Paulo (OSESP). She also participated as soprano soloist in the 6th annual Opera Festival in the Opera House Manaus, Amazonas and the 2nd Annual Opera Festival at the Opera House in Belem, Para, Brasil.
Soprano Mariana Mihai-Zoeter is a very versatile artist, singing different genres of music from renaissance music, to lied, to opera, to sacred music, to chamber ensemble to contemporary music.
Dr. Mihai-Zoeter is also a frequent performer of the music of our time. She has performed works by contemporary composers such as Matthew Tommasini, Bob Becker, Felicia Donceanu, Carmen Petra Basacopol, Ned Rorem, and others, and also has had the privilege of working alongside composers Sabin Pautza, Altino Pimenta, Doru Popovici, Kevin Puts (Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Silent Night), and Paul Moravec (Winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize). Working with Maestro Sabin Pautza, resulted in a world premiere CD of his Symphony No. 2 “Sinfonia Sacra” performed with the “George Enescu” Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus.
Dr. Mihai-Zoeter is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and also a member of the Music Teachers National Association.
Dr. Mariana Mihai-Zoeter was born in Braila, Romania. Her first serious music lessons were with Mariana Iordache at the School of Arts in Braila, where in 1986 she graduated with highest honors.
She performed her first recital with arias and lied at the age of fifteen and at the age of eighteen she was contracted by the Opera and Operetta Theater “N. Leonard” in Galati, Romania.
Dr. Mihai-Zoeter graduated from the Bucharest University of Music with a BM in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy, and she received her Masters and Doctoral degrees in Vocal Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory. Dr. Mihai-Zoeter is also a certified voice teacher of the Institute for Contemporary Commercial Music, Vocal Pedagogy Somatic Voicework™, The LoVetri Method. (Musical Theater, Pop, Rock), and in 2014 she received a certification in A Practical Approach to Directing from the Yale University, School of Drama where she worked with Evan Yionoulis.
"Mariana Mihai had an uncommonly beautiful presence on the stage and an excellent control of voice with a sensitive interpretation and wonderful legato in the entire performance. An inborn instinct for emotional coloring, a sense of coming from inside the poetry and the music rather than approaching it from outside…the human vulnerability that radiates from Mariana Mihai`s work is touching and magnetic…”
"We have in front of us one singer with the biggest possible technique, and beautiful interpretation. One wonderful presence with the rare gift of communication." (music critic Francisco Vidal , ” Notas de arte,” Brasil)
bottom of page