Mikayla Rogers is a Central New York-based pianist with a desire and passion to collaborate with others and bring different and unique repertoire to a curious audience.
A versatile and dynamic musician, Mikayla Rogers is a pianist and vocal coach currently based in upstate New York. Dr. Rogers is excited to bring a fresh perspective in her new role as Lecturer of Vocal Coaching at Binghamton University (SUNY).
As a recitalist, Dr. Rogers has appeared at various summer festivals including Music in the Marche, American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS), Trentino Music Festival, Source Song Festival, and the BayView Music Festival. Additionally, she has served as a répétiteur and coach for Ariadne auf Naxos, La Cenerentola, and various operatic scenes ranging from Cavalli to Verdi. Her most recent engagement includes playing in the vocal concert series titled Classical Concerts at First Church Belmont in Massachusetts to raise money in support of voting rights.
Dr. Rogers has studied song repertoire with well-known musicians including Kathleen Kelly, Warren Jones, Arlene Shrut, Ruth Palmer, Elvia Puccinelli, Gary Matthewman, and Liza Stepanova. Additionally, she has looked to teachers such as Jeffrey Peterson, Rita Borden, Jennifer Allor, and James Douglass for vocal coaching advice. Dr. Rogers has experience coaching repertoire in Italian, German, French, and Spanish.
Originally from western South Dakota, Mikayla began playing the piano at the age of 5. She holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Northern Arizona University, a Master of Music in Accompanying from Florida State University, and a Doctor of Music in Collaborative Piano from Florida State University. While at Florida State, she served as a studio accompanying and opera graduate assistant. Her instructors include Dr. Frank Scott, Dr. Timothy Hoekman, and Valerie Trujillo.
While at Florida State University, Dr. Rogers worked on several operas as a pianist and harpsichordist including Il barbiere di Siviglia, Le nozze di Figaro, As One, and La Hija de Rappaccini. Mikayla has also been musical director of two outreach productions including The Magic Flute and Abrazo de Oso and a summer production of Luisa Fernanda. A recent engagement included playing in an opera scenes concert with baritone Ryan Speedo Green.
In addition to her role as pianist and coach, Dr. Rogers began her research in the Summer of 2023 on the art song repertoire of American composer Judith Cloud, who served as a mentor during her time at Northern Arizona University. Her treatise covers three song sets called The Secret History of Water, where she analyzes Cloud’s extensive use of texting painting. Her research culminated in a lecture recital titled “Judith Cloud: The Secret History of Water.”
