Anne-Marie Atanga

Anne-Marie Atanga is a Spring 2026 graduate of the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Neuroscience (pre-med track) and a B.M.A. in Voice Performance (Opera). At Michigan, she pursued an interdisciplinary path bridging music, the arts, and STEM while completing dual degrees in science and music.

At the University of Michigan, Anne-Marie performed in several opera productions, including Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore and Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, where she appeared as the Dew Fairy. She studied voice with Professor Stanford Olsen and, in 2026, won the University of Michigan Undergraduate Concerto Competition.

In 2024, at age twenty, Anne-Marie made her debut as soprano soloist in Carmina Burana with the Flint Symphony Orchestra. Other performances include appearances as a soloist with the Fox Valley Orchestra and repeated performances as soprano soloist in the Grand Blanc Choral Society’s presentations of Handel’s Messiah.

In addition to classical repertoire, she has developed her artistry as a jazz vocalist, performing as a soloist with one of the University of Michigan’s jazz ensembles.

When she is not studying, Anne-Marie teaches piano to underserved children through a university outreach program and is passionate about expanding access to music education.

Anne-Marie’s artistic journey began at the Flint School of Performing Arts, where she studied voice, ballet, and piano. She trained in voice with Pia Broden-Williams and later Nada Radakovich and studied piano with Dr. Quincy Dobbs and the late Ida Leshchinskaya. In 2020, she won the Flint School of Performing Arts Concerto Competition. She frequently appeared as a soprano soloist in the community and performed as a classical pianist in pre-show concerts for the Flint Symphony Orchestra at The Whiting Auditorium.

In addition to music, ballet was also a major part of her life. As a member of the Flint Youth Ballet, she performed various roles for several seasons in the Flint Symphony Orchestra’s production of The Nutcracker.

Beyond performing, Anne-Marie has also explored creative work behind the stage. She wrote, produced, and directed Bitter Sweet: A Jukebox Opera, which premiered at the University of Michigan in 2025. She also founded Funding Fermata, a concert series supporting local nonprofit organizations.

When it comes to science, Anne-Marie enjoys studying the brain. She is a 2025 Science Ambassador Scholar, a national award recognizing women in STEM for excellence in science communication.

Anne-Marie has been writing stories since childhood and wrote her first children’s book at age seven (unpublished). In fifth grade, she was also a winner of Michigan’s Young Authors Contest.

She is the author of More Than One Dream: 7 Smart Strategies Empowering Multi-Talented Students to Succeed in College and a contributing author to Life Is a Battle, But We Will Win, a collaboration led by Dr. Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH.

Through her writing, speaking, and workshops for high schools and colleges, Anne-Marie encourages students with multiple interests to pursue ambitious academic and creative paths while maintaining balance, purpose, and well-being.