Heather Jones (they/them) is a Carolina-born and Brooklyn-based mezzo soprano who blends seamless technique with “mischievous freshness and enthusiasm” to present compelling performances of both classical and contemporary repertoire. A 2021 finalist in the American Traditions Vocal Competition and winner of the Sherrill Milnes American Opera Award, Mx. Jones is gaining recognition for their astute interpretation of new and early music. Season highlights include Hannah After in Laura Kaminsky’s As One, Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and the NY premiere of Lori Laitman’s opera Uncovered. In 2023, Heather will present an immersive recital installation at the cell theatre titled “Still Running” that chronicles the trans experience of seeking belonging within a family, a community, and one’s own body. They are also a co-creator and performer of a piece titled “Exposulation(s) of Mary,” commissioned by the LA-based experimental ensemble Wild Up, that investigates assumptions about gender, sexuality, parenthood, and body autonomy through the lens of Christianity’s mother and martyr figure.

The 2021-2022 season included: La traviata (Flora) with Holy City Lyric Opera, solos in Bach’s St. John Passion and Verdi’s Requiem, Second Nature (Lydia) with Opera Fayetteville, and appearances with Spoleto Festival USA, the Savannah Voice Festival, Voices of Ascension, Musica Sacra, and ChamberQUEER.

Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Heather grew up surrounded by jazz, bluegrass, gospel, southern American choral traditions, and contra dancing every other Friday. As the only child of two performers, Heather spent years watching their parents’ rehearsals and eventually made their stage debut singing in choirs and musicals. After a degree in music education from Westminster Choir College and several years of teaching, Heather found their way to opera, completed a performance degree at Mannes School of Music, and is happily once again immersed in choral music, opera, jazz, and musical theatre.

Mx. Jones’ love for new and early music has been evident in roles such as: Sister Mister in Opera Saratoga’s production of The Cradle Will Rock conducted by the Grammy- and Tony-winning conductor John Mauceri (available on Spotify courtesy of Bridge Records), Theodorine in The Isle of Tulipatan with Light Opera of New York (available on Spotify courtesy of Albany Records), Alcina in La liberazione di Ruggiero by Francesca Caccini with dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, and Ruggiero in Handel’s Alcina.

A frequent collaborator with the American composer Evan Mack, Heather joined the Albany Symphony in their American Music Festival singing Mack’s song cycle Preach Sister, Preach and traveled to Portland, OR with Mack to perform the West coast premiere of his concert opera, Angel of the Amazon, which tells the true story of Sister Dorothy Stang, who lost her life fighting deforestation in the Amazon Jungle.
Heather has premiered works with American Lyric Theatre, Savannah Voice Festival, Seagle Music Colony, and Thompson Street Opera (upcoming), and was recently humbled to join Sign & Sing ASL to premiere Brad Balliet’s piece The Universal Drum, written for two singers, two Deaf actors, and 27-piece percussion to demonstrate the ways that rhythm is the universal language between the hearing and non-hearing worlds.

Heather has made regional debuts singing some of the most beloved traditional repertoire as well, including La Traviata with Holy City Lyric Opera (Flora), The Magic Flute with Opera Louisiane (Second Lady), Cendrillon with Opera Company of Middlebury (Dorothée), Le nozze di Figaro (Cherubino) with dell'Arte Opera Ensemble, Die Fledermaus (Orlofsky) and Hänsel und Gretel (Hänsel) with Sinfonietta Nova; and La traviata (Flora) with Holy City Arts and Lyric Opera; as well as solos in Handel’s Messiah, Verdi’s Requiem, Bach’s St. John Passion, and Dvorak's Mass in D at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. Other favorite performances include: Cosi fan tutte (Dorabella), Idomeneo (Idamante), and Faust (Siebel).

As a queer and non-binary person, Heather pursues work and communities that hold space for LGBTQIA+ experiences and storytelling. Shortly before quarantine, Heather sang Michael Genese’s “Feeld Songs” set to poetry about the trans experience and also wrote and starred in a gender-fluid adaptation of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella titled “Happily Never After” featuring an all-queer cast. Heather is a regular collaborator with ChamberQUEER in Brooklyn, NY and has appeared as a soloist and speaker for LGBTQIA+ events with The American Opera Project, Opera Maine, Savannah Voice Festival, and Savannah First City Pride Center.

Offstage, Heather is usually riding their custom-built 1988 Bridgestone bike, visiting vintage clothing stores, arts and crafting, or spending time with their cat, Blue Barry.