Georgian-American mezzo-soprano Mariami Bekauri has been praised for her “warm,” “handsome,” and “powerful” voice and has appeared with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Geneva Light Opera, Hillman Opera, and Finger Lakes Opera.

This December, Ms. Bekauri can be seen onstage with Buffalo Opera Unlimited as the sorceress Ulrica in Verdi’s Un ballo in Maschera. Additional roles include the titular heroine of Rossini’s La Cenerentola, the Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Marcellina and Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Berta (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Madame de Croissy (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Cecilia March (Little Women), Mrs. Nolan (The Medium), Maria (Maria de Buenos Aires), Mad Margaret (Ruddigore), and Melior (The Legend of the Fairy Melusine).

Recent concert credits include alto soloist for the WNED broadcast of Handel’s Messiah, and alto soloist for Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. Bekauri was also a member of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus’s GRAMMY Award winning recording of Richard Danielpour’s The Passion of Yeshua for Best Choral Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Bekauri is a frequent collaborator with composer Jamie Leigh Sampson and has premiered several of her works including “American Mother” for mezzo-soprano and piano, and the aria “Broken” from the opera In a Flash. Upcoming collaboration includes the premiere of chess micro-opera Immortal Games as the Black Queen.

Bekauri is a graduate of the Fredonia School of Music with an MM in Voice Performance.  She was a Concerto Competition Finalist and recipient of the Charles C. Eikenburg Scholarship for excellence in vocal and operatic performance. Bekauri also holds a Master of Science in Materials Science Engineering from Brown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Physics and in Music from Wellesley College.