We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mia Ruhman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mia below.

Alright, Mia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my original modern opera, “Nannerl.” It’s a two hour long musical production about the life of Maria Anna Mozart- Wolfgang Mozart’s older sister. Nannerl was a prodigy, and before Wolfgang was the star- Nannerl was the first headliner in the family. My show examines her largely untold story- and it has been one of my greatest honors to write the lyrics, compose the music, and to have starred in the very first performance of the show back in June of 2025. However, what makes this the most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on is the people that were right there with me. After the Palisades fire burned down my home as well as the performance venue “Nannerl” would’ve been performed in, I had no idea how this show would happen. It was my senior year at UCLA, and my family and I were reeling from the tragedy. Our entire community is still reeling. However, at this point I’d been writing the show since I was 18 (I’m now 22), and I was in too deep to quit. I didn’t know how, but I knew it had to happen. With the help of friends, my family, generous community members, and understanding professors- I was able to find another venue where we could perform. With a cast of 20 talented performers and musicians (all of whom I consider dear friends), we were able to premiere “Nannerl” a month before my graduation- performing two separate shows to a packed house. Together, we shared a story that highlights the importance of community, strength, and grit- a story that I believe the world needs to hear. This production brought me closer to so many people- and it reminded me of why I love performance and composition in the first place- it serves as a vessel through which we can speak to the hearts of others, and in return they can speak to us- in ways that language can’t and only music can.

Mia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hello! My name is Mia Ruhman, I’m a singer (primarily a classical soprano), composer, actress, and most recently- a music teacher! I’ve been obsessed with music my entire life. From the age of about 4, I’d create little melodies and songs. I never knew where they came from- they’d just kinda happen. It was never a question for me whether or not my life would lead to music, because it’s all I’ve ever known. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. I was an LA Phil CFP composition fellow from 16-18 and a member of the National Children’s Chorus from 8-18. I now work for the NCC as a composition instructor and musicianship teacher, and I also have a private voice studio. In 2020 I was the LA Phil YOLA Sue Tsao composer fellow, and the winner of a global music award in 2024. I also served on the speaking panel of the 77th National League of American Orchestra conference. I’ve been privileged to have my compositions conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and Grant Gershon, and performed by the LA Phil, the National Children’s Chorus, Seraphour, Hub New Music and the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. I received my BA in music composition at UCLA, studying composition with Professor Ian Krouse and classical voice with Professor Vladimir Chernov. I had the immense honor of acting as the undergraduate commencement speaker at the 2025 UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music graduation ceremony. My largest project to date is the completion of my original pop-opera, “Nannerl”, to which I composed the score and wrote the libretto. A piano vocal production of Nannerl was mounted in 2025, consisting of 20 person cast. I sang on the grammy award winning recording of Maherl’s 8th, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and was a member of the UCLA Chamber singers for four years. A choir girl until the end, I am honored to be a proud member of the highly esteemed vocal ensemble Adoro. I also work for the Palisades Methodist Church as soprano section leader. I adore performing and all things musical theater- I debuted the principal role of “Vera” in Dis-topia: The Musical, and recently sang as a soloist at the Sydney Opera House under the baton of Luke McEndarfer. Most recently, I was privileged to compose a string orchestra piece for Milan Fashion Week 2025- the music accompanied brand new designs created by renowned designer Kyle Denman. I compose freelance and work primarily as a teacher and soloist- in late December I will be singing the alto solo arias in Vivaldi’s “Gloria” in Austin Texas at the Austin Performing Arts Center. My life’s purpose is to make music with others and to help engrain confidence into fellow artists. I believe that we are all on this earth to serve and uplift one another- and I aim to do that through my teaching and through my music! Rather than focusing on what sets me apart from other composers or creatives, I look to my closest friends and fellow musicians for inspiration constantly. We should all be each other’s biggest fans. I often turn to my peers and admire them when I feel unmotivated- their hard work makes me want to work harder. I aspire to be as gifted as my colleagues and best friends in the music community. I believe that my desire to continuously improve keeps me humble and open to new experiences, and I feel very blessed to be in a field that allows for infinite learning and growth.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A huge pivot for me was when I decided to study music composition in college rather than musical theater. When I was 17, I realized I’d have a better shot getting to Broadway if I simply wrote my own show. So, that’s what I’m doing! I composed the piano vocal score and performed that version in Santa Monica in June, and I am now orchestrating the entire score. It was scary to temporarily leave musical theater to focus on composition- but I knew I’d always come back to it, and I can’t wait to perform the show in it’s completed state as soon as I am finished orchestrating! By studying composition at UCLA, I got the tools I needed to compose my own show, and in the meantime I kept performing and singing in choirs, community theater, and with my voice teacher Vladimir Chernov.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’d definitely have to circle back to my house burning down in January 2025. I can’t describe the toll it took on my family- and the strength with which they’ve faced it all. Rehearsals for my show “Nannerl” were set to start in January- we were all cast ready. However, due to the fires everything came to a grinding halt. But for me it truly was not an option to give up, so on February 1st, we had our first rehearsal. At this time, my family and I were moving from place to place- I was lucky, I had my sorority sisters apartment to lean on. The next four months consisted of desperately trying to maintain my GPA at UCLA, organize a cast of 20 extremely talented (and EXTREMELY busy) UCLA students and performers, locate a performance venue, raise funds, advertise the show, rehearse my own role, maintain my own heath, continue following through with my various choirs and obligations, as well as continuing my very first season as a musicianship teacher with the National Children’s Chorus. All the while, I felt like I was untethered by the terror of losing my home and Palisades community. In one of my classes, we were tasked with composing a piece for orchestra. Over the course of two months, I composed a piece that I call “In Memoriam”. I am completely serious when I say that I have no memory of composing this piece. I think I was in a trance. This is a testament to the healing power of music- it is one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever written, and it’s dedicated to the memory of my childhood church and to those lost in the fires. I truly believe that God strengthened me as well as the entire Palisades community- and even though the pain is still present, we push through every day- and that’s simply what I had to do for my show. One of my favorite sayings is “the only way out is through”- and I resonated with that saying deeply, especially during those dark days.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://miaruhman.com
• Instagram: mia.ruhman
• Linkedin: Mia Ruhman
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyO3kcuxRMjwcFGiZI9z97w