It's a warm spring afternoon and I’m sitting with Mia Ye in Towson’s Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro talking about her musical journey, an artist’s responsibility to the community, and her upcoming performance at The Recher.
Mia, a THS Senior, is a national and international competition award winner who has been performing for over ten years. She has earned recognition at Golden Voices of America International (2017/2018), the Summer Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall (2019), the Kings Peak Competition (2020), the American Music Talent Competition (2020), and the CS Vocal Competition (2025/2026).
Last year, she was invited to participate in UCLA’s prestigious Herb Alpert School Of Intensive Voice and this summer will be attend NYU’s acclaimed Summer Arts Program.
How long have you been performing? What is your training history? How do you practice?
I have been performing since I was 6 years old! I’ve been taking voice lessons with my private teacher, Li Chunfeng, for about 11 years now. I like listening to music when I’m busy doing other stuff so that studying music is well integrated into my daily routine. I also take time out of my evenings to refine my singing! (I’m going to be honest, it’s a little inconsistent, but it works!)
You started in classical, then transitioned to jazz, why the transition?
I wanted to broaden my musical horizons, and I landed on other genres that interest me as well. However, I appreciate the strong foundation that classical music has given me.
What artists influenced your career? Who is your inspiration?
I draw a lot of inspiration from Sade! Her music and her voice are extremely unique, and I’ve been honing my own personal techniques and style alongside it.
You've donated much of your time to performing at charity and civic events, will that always be a part of your career?
I really love the community that Baltimore brings, and I appreciate all that it has taught me. I am always looking to give back to this community and I will continue to do so in my future endeavors. So yes!
At Towson High, you've taken the stage not only as a vocalist, but also as an actress. How is that a different challenge?
For me, acting requires physically and psychologically embodying a character, and then mastering it. My vocal performance focuses on precise control over pitch and tone. However, I face similar aspects in both, such as using my voice to build and express emotions, or learning to use diction.
On June 3, you'll be performing at The Recher for your third concert for the Andrea's Wish Foundation. What's going to be different this time?
This year will be special, as my good friend Skylar Haldens will be performing a duet with me. We worked together on “Mamma Mia, ”Towson High School’s 2026 spring musical, and we worked extremely well together. It will be a fun experience to perform with a friend.
I’ll also have a totally new playlist that will capture where I am right now as both a person and a vocalist. I can promise a couple of R&B/Soul classics and even a bit of indie pop.
When you’re just hanging out, who is on your playlist?
I like a big range of artists, as well as a big range of genres! I listen to music from Sade, Fountains of Wayne, Paramore, Laufey, Eartha Kitt, The Cure, and much more.
You've participated in UCLA's summer program at the Herb Alpert School of Intensive Voice. Tell us about that.
It was a lovely experience to work with other students at this UCLA program. I learned so much and it has been a big step in my artistic journey, as it was my first intensive in musical theater training.
Being in LA was great. It’s full of creative history and energy. I couldn’t believe I was only minutes away from places like The Hollywood Bowl and The Greek Theatre. I even visited Marilyn Monroe’s star!
So what’s next for Mia Ye?
I reached the semi-finals at this year’s CS Vocal Competition in Boston. It's a national vocal arts competition and convention for classical and musical theatre singers, so I was really proud to get that far!
