Artistic Director | Musical Theatre Director & Choreographer | Music Director | Opera Singer | Vocal Coach
Mahtab Haghighi is a classically trained opera singer, musical theatre director and choreographer, music director, vocal coach, and arts educator with more than two decades of experience in music, performance, and education.
Her artistic foundation began with studies in Jazz Vocal at Romanos Melikian College and continued with classical vocal studies at the Yerevan State Conservatory of Armenia under Professor Julieta Nazarian. Her performance career has included opera, classical music, choral performance, and musical theatre, with appearances and collaborations with ensembles including the Tehran Opera Ensemble, Dian Choir, Tehran Cultural Choir Ensemble, and Laudate Singers in Canada.
Over the years, Mahtab has expanded her work from performance and vocal teaching into directing, choreography, musical direction, and large-scale theatrical production. Her approach to musical theatre brings together her extensive musical training with a strong understanding of storytelling, character, movement, vocal interpretation, and stagecraft. As a director, she is particularly passionate about creating productions in which young performers are challenged artistically while developing confidence, discipline, collaboration, and a genuine love of the stage.
Mahtab has directed and choreographed youth musical theatre productions including Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. and Pure Imagination, and is the creative force behind Cadenza’s ongoing musical theatre programs. Her work on Pure Imagination brought together young performers in an intensive production process encompassing acting, singing, choreography, musical direction, rehearsal, technical preparation, and live performance. Her upcoming production of Disney’s Aladdin JR. continues her commitment to providing young artists with a serious, immersive theatrical experience.
A particularly significant milestone in Mahtab’s artistic career was her work as Co-Director and Creative Director of the first officially licensed Farsi production of The Sound of Music, presented through Concord Theatricals. The production brought together her passions for musical theatre, cultural storytelling, music, and directing, and reflected her commitment to creating meaningful artistic experiences for Persian-speaking audiences in Canada.
As an educator, Mahtab has been teaching music and developing young artists since the age of 16. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that technical training and artistic expression should grow together. She works to develop not only strong singers and performers, but confident young artists who understand music, communicate through performance, and learn to trust their own artistic voice.
At Cadenza Music & Art Academy, Mahtab brings together her experience as a performer, educator, and creative leader to build an environment where students can explore their potential across music and the performing arts. She believes that excellent training should be rigorous, inspiring, and human—and that every student deserves the opportunity to discover what they are capable of when passion is supported by discipline and dedicated mentorship.
Through her work in education, performance, and theatre, Mahtab continues to create, direct, teach, and inspire—helping the next generation of artists find their voice and their place on the stage.
With over 15 years of teaching experience, Mahtab specializes in voice, musical theatre, and piano. Drawing on her background in opera and performance, she offers a personalized, inspiring approach that supports students of all ages in developing both skill and confidence.
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