We are very delighted to present a public masterclass with renowned soprano Olga Makarina, offered as part of the MABC Emerging Artists Program on February 8 at 2:00 PM , in the beautiful sanctuary of the historic Madison Avenue Baptist Church. Internationally acclaimed soprano Olga Makarina is renowned for her mastery of the bel canto repertoire—a distinction already recognized during her student years at the Mannes School of Music by the legendary Giuseppe di Stefano. Less than a year after winning the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, she made her New York City Opera debut in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor, launching a major international career. Based in New York City, Ms. Makarina performed for 18 seasons at The Metropolitan Opera and appeared regularly with New York City Opera, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. She has sung on leading stages worldwide, including Teatro Colón, Teatro Liceu (Barcelona), Mariinsky Theatre, Opera di Roma, Teatro de Bellas Artes (Mexico City), and many others, as well as major festivals such as Spoleto, Bard, and Cesky Krumlov. Her repertoire spans the great Italian and French roles—Violetta, Gilda, Lucia, Norma, Manon, Thaïs—alongside Mozart heroines, Russian opera, and demanding contemporary coloratura works. In concert, she has collaborated with conductors such as James Levine, Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, and Yehudi Menuhin, and performed major works including Verdi Requiem, Carmina Burana, Mahler symphonies, and Exsultate, Jubilate. An active recording artist, Ms. Makarina has released multiple solo albums and appears in HD video productions from The Met. A graduate of the Mannes School of Music and the St. Petersburg Conservatory (voice, piano, and choral conducting), she is a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, Liederkranz Competition, and Musicians Emergency Fund awards. Ms. Makarina maintains a private studio in Manhattan and gives masterclasses internationally. Her teaching is holistic and individualized, integrating vocal technique, stylistic tradition, language, musicianship, and professional mindset—drawing on mentorship from legends such as Marilyn Horne, Renata Scotto, and Henry Lewis—to empower singers toward technical independence and artistic maturity. Participants: Narentsetseg Ren, Mezzo-soprano Nina Mutalifu, Soprano Jiayi George Baolin, Bass Yi-Chun Sarah Tsai, Mezzo-soprano Kristina Bombara, Soprano Aza Sydykov, Piano