Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Tichina Vaughn commands stages at home and abroad with her “superb singing” and “electrifying presence”. Her distinguished career spans the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Arena di Verona and Semperoper Dresden and many others, with signature roles including Amneris, Azucena, Ulrica, Herodias, and Klytemnestra. A celebrated interpreter of opera, concert, and recital repertoire, Vaughn is also a passionate educator and mentor. She serves as Associate Professor of Music in Voice at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she received the 2025 Trustees Teaching Award  and is a frequent guest adjudicator and masterclass facilitator. Ms. Vaughn holds the prestigious German title of Kammersängerin in recognition of her long-standing, extraordinary career and dedication to the art form. Highlights of the current season include concerts with the Winston Salem Symphony for Handel’s Messiah, Elgar’s Sea Pictures with Welsh National Opera, and debut performances of Porgy and Bess at the Komische Oper Berlin.

Recent performance highlights include the Metropolitan Opera as Maria in Porgy and Bess, Monisha in Treemonisha with Washington National Opera, as well as concert appearances with IU  University Orchestra, Jeffery Meyer, conductor in Jessie Montgomery’s: Five Freedom Songs and at the Festival Smetana Litomysl with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, J. David Jackson – conductor.