Olivia Rominiyi | Nigerian-American Soprano

Olivia Iretioluwa Rominiyi is a Nigerian-American opera singer and educator. Lauded for her “robust and commanding voice” and “queenly stage presence”, Ms. Rominiyi is charming audiences nationwide.

Career highlights include a recent cover debut as Serena in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess at Des Moines Metro Opera as a member of the Apprentice Artist Program in Summer 2022. Other opera roles include Madame Lidoine in Dialogues des Carmélites,Lady Billows in Albert Herring, Marguerite in Faust, Béatrice in Béatrice et Bénédict, La Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Mrs. Nolan in The Medium, Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Julia Jellicoe in The Grand Duke, andElisetta in Il matrimonio segreto.

On the concert stage, Ms. Rominiyi has appeared at Carnegie Hall, with the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, Symphonicity Orchestra, The I. Sherman Green Chorale of Norfolk, VA, The Asian American Music Society, and countless houses of worship. Favorited concert appearances include Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, Pfoltner’s Christmas cantata Light From Out of Darkness, Vaughan Williams’ Christmas cantata Hodie, and Margaret Bonds’ Ballad of the Brown King.

Summer festival credits include Spotlight on Opera in San Marcos, Texas, Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artist Vocal Academy, The Harrower Summer Opera Program in Atlanta, Georgia, The Bethesda Summer Music Festival in Bethesda, Maryland, The Redwoods Opera Program in Mendocino California, and the Des Moines Metro Opera 50th Anniversary Festival in Indianola, Iowa.

Ms. Rominiyi is the recipient of the 1 st Prize Foundation Scholarship from the Kristin Lewis Foundation (2017). She is also an Encouragement Awardee of the Metropolitan Opera’s Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition (2020) and a 1 st Place winner of the Virginia State National Association of Teacher’s of Singing Conference (2018).

Ms. Rominiyi has performed for five United States presidents and several dignitaries.

Originally studying for a career in medicine, Ms. Rominiyi graduated summa cum laude from Old Dominion University with degrees in Biomedicine and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. After four years as a medical professional, she went on to pursue music full-time and received her Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and Singing Health from James Madison University.

Ms. Rominiyi enjoys an active performance schedule throughout the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. She is currently on the voice faculty of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA where she oversees a full studio of singers and is the music director of staged productions. She is the program coordinator for the school’s Graduate Biomedicine program.

Ms. Rominiyi speaks nine languages, is an accomplished equestrian, and enjoys traveling, shopping, needlework, puzzles, historical novels, calm walks, playing tennis, and watching documentaries.