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Raeeka
Shehabi-Yaghmai
Mezzo-Soprano
Raeeka Shehabi-Yaghmai was born in Tehran, Iran. She developed a love for poetry, music and the performing arts at an early age.
In 1993, Ms. Shehabi-Yaghmai left Iran for the United States. She enrolled in Santa Monica College to study Architecture. In 1995, however, inspired by her music teacher, Sue Ann Pinner, and encouraged by her parents, she began her studies in music. In 1999 she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's degree of Music

from California State University of Northridge (CSUN) where her vocal training was supervised under the guidance of Judith Scott. Ms. Shehabi-Yaghmai holds a Masters of Music Degree and a Post Graduate Artist’s Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  Currently Ms. Shehabi-Yaghmai is studying with Jane Randolph.

Ms. Shehabi-Yaghmai's operatic roles include: "Poppea" and "Ottavia" in The Coronation of Poppea; "Ino" in Semele; "Rosina" in Scarlati's Il Trionfo dell Onore; "Cherubino" in The Marriage of Figaro; “Dorabella� in Cosi fan Tutte; “Suzuki� in Madama Butterfly, "Hansel" and "Sandman" in Hansel and Gretel; “Giovanna� in Rigoletto ; "Nancy" in Albert Herring;  "The Mother" in Amahl and the Night Visitors; "Dinah" in Trouble in Tahiti; "Sally" in A Hand of Bridge;  "Iolanthe" , and "Carmen".  In 2005 she is scheduled to perform “Vera� in Menotti’s The Consul with North Bay Opera, the title role in La Perichole with Pocket Opera, “Suzuki� in Madame Butterfly with San Francisco Lyric Opera and in several concerts around the Bay area and Washington D.C. 

She has also been a soloist for Mozart's Coronation Mass, Haydn's Mass for Prince Nicolai, and Bach's Magnificat.  In addition to solo recitals she performed Mahler's Songs of the Wayfarer as the winner of the 1999 CSUN annual concerto competition. She also performed Cliff Eidelman's debut composition Wedding in the Night Garden at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. 

In summer of 2005 Ms. Shehabi-Yaghmai established her first Summer Opera Workshop Company TANEEN OPERA in San Francisco, training aspiring beginning level opera singers who wish to gain experience in performing arts. 

Ms. Shehabi-Yaghmai has earned much recognition for her accomplishments.  She was on the CSUN's dean's list from1993-1999 and the National Dean's list for 1998 and 1999.  In addition, she was awarded the Beulah Allen and the John Vaznaian voice scholarships, the 1998 Dean's award for senior year Academic Achievement, and the 1999 Outstanding Iranian Student Award. In 1999 she was awarded the Outstanding Bachelor's degree Graduate in Music at CSUN. Ms. Shehabi-Yaghmai is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda national Music Honor Society. Recently she was accepted to the Natchez Opera Young Artist Program 2006. She was also a finalist for the prestigious Merola auditions where after she was hired to sing with the San Francisco Opera Center.

(Revised 02 08 06)