Katia Hayati, soprano, who holds advanced degrees in mathematics and computer science, came to singing following a career as a software engineer at Silicon Valley startups. Recently, they appeared as Suor Zelatrice and La Ciesca in Opera Idaho's double bill of Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. Katia delights in singing comedic cross-cast and pants roles, having performed Sparkeion in Gilbert and Sullivan's Thespis with Lyric Theatre, the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance and Sempronio in Lo Speziale with Bay Area Opera Collaborative, and Siebel in Faust with Verismo Opera. Some of their favorite opera roles include Magda Sorel in The Consul with Just Opera, Augusta Tabor in The Ballad of Baby Doe with the Stanford Light Opera Company, and the Mother in Hansel and Gretel with Bayshore Lyric Opera. An avid recitalist with a particular interest in new music and works by under-represented composers, they performed and co-authored a commissioned monodrama titled The Mother/The Witch by Felix Jarrar in June 2024. Their past concert programs have featured works by Pauline Viardot, Augusta Holmes, Rebecca Clarke, Libby Larsen, Alan Louis Smith, Gustav Mahler, Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz, and others.