Valuing rich and warm vocalism along with engaging portrayals on-stage, mezzo-soprano Valarie Miles has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa.

A Texas native, Valarie fell in love with the craft of opera at a young age and has continued pursuing diverse performance opportunities through educational and professional venues. As a Black performer, Valarie actively includes compositions by Black and African-American composers in her recital work and seeks to broaden the research and discovery of this genre. During the 2024-25 season, Valarie will perform as L’Ecureuil  in Ravel’s L’Efant et les Sortilièges Peabody Opera Theatre. Previous roles include Nada in Ana Sokolovic’s Svadba, Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, and Angela in Patience. Valarie is a frequent recitalist and has presented lecture-recitals on Jules Bledsoe at the Peabody Institute and the National Museum of African American Culture and History as well as a specially curated program for Judge David Tatel at the Castleton Music Festival. Valarie is a proud member of the Denyce Graves Foundation’s Shared Voices program, where she has the opportunity to explore the historical intersection of Black culture and the classical vocal arts field.

Sought after as a meticulous performer, Valarie has worked with Tasos Opera Institute, Baylor Opera Theatre, Brevard Music Center, and Amarillo Opera Theatre. Through these avenues, Valarie has honed her language skills, refined her artistic craft, and learned from leading industry professionals. Notably at the Taos Opera Institute, Miles represented the group of young artists as a Santa Fe Opera Guild featured artist. She also had the pleasure of performing various roles in Michael Ching’s production of Speed Dating Tonight. 

      Miles has sung in many national competitions, placing as a finalist in the 2022 Texoma Region National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions and a finalist in the 2019 Schmidt Vocal Competition. 

      Valarie holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Baylor University, where she studied with Dr.Jamie Van Eyck. Valarie is currently pursuing her Master of Music at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, where she studies under Dr. Carl Dupont. She is the proud recipient of the institution’s Pathways to DMA Fellowship.