Mona Celest Majid is an American Lyric Soprano known for her bold approach to storytelling through music. An advocate for new music, diverse representation, and culturally-relevant themes, Mona has drawn from her own Iranian and Iraqi heritage while collaborating with composers and librettists from different backgrounds to bring enriching performances to a growing audience. In her recent roles as Le Prince Charmant from Massenet’s Cendrillon and Gertrud in Humperdink’s Hänsel und Gretel, Mona has likewise proven her ability to bring earnestness and depth to roles in the standard repertoire. Mona came to the stage in a uniquely nontraditional way, having worked as a lab manager in the basic sciences and then as a community social worker in affordable housing after earning her MSW from Washington University in St. Louis. Returning to a love of singing she had cultivated throughout high school and college, where she had sung in the prestigious concert chorus of the University of Minnesota while earning her degree in the biomedical sciences, Mona began taking private voice lessons with Carol Balakovsky, who encouraged her to pursue a formal degree program based on her unique vocal timbre and intuitive talent. 

Later, while living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mona was privileged to study with Heidi Moss Erickson, both in the continuing education department at SFCM and as part of her private studio. Mona’s vocal talents continued to blossom throughout the Covid-19 lockdown while she took lessons via Zoom and participated in the NATS student competitions, earning second place in her age category. Finally, Mona and her husband moved to Boston where she took advantage of lessons and performance workshops offered by the New England Conservatory and was encouraged by her teacher Jayne West to apply to the Longy School of Music’s Masters Degree program, to which she was subsequently accepted on a generous merit-based scholarship. 

While at Longy, Mona flourished under the tutelage of Dr. Dana Lynne Varga and was able to participate in new creative endeavors. From coaching with the living composer of an opera about the Indian Partition to collaborating to bring to life a new micro-opera about the trafficking of young Indigenous and Women of Color in southern Texas, Mona fell in love with the creation of new music and continued to take part in premiering new works by her fellow students. She was part of the concert in solidarity with Afghan musicians in her second year. For her graduating recital, Mona commissioned an original song in Persian, written by her close collaborator Charlotte Koonce with help from Niloufar Nourbakhsh. 

Mona spent one summer at AIMS in Graz where she performed in recitals for the public and studied with distinguished coach Kathryn Wright, then returned to Longy where she earned coveted principal roles in subsequent Fall Productions. Mona graduated in the Spring of 2025 with a wealth of experience and a deepening dedication to musical expression. 

Today, Mona continues to devote herself to the study of voice and acting, as well as the Alexander Technique. She also volunteers regularly with her local Baha’i community and likes to stay active by taking walks and foraging. Mona lives in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood with her wonderful, supportive husband and their adorably needy pet cat.