Biography
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Kristin Lewis, Soprano
Kristin Lewis, a lyrico-spinto soprano lauded for her interpretations of Verdi heroines, is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas/USA. Ms. Lewis began her vocal studies at the University of Central Arkansas under the guidance of Dr. Martha Antolik. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree, she continued with her Master of Music studies at the University of Tennessee with Ms. Kay Paschal and Mr. Andrew Wentzel. Her postgraduate instruction was led by Dr. Jonathan Retzlaff until her move to Vienna, Austria, where she currently resides. She is now under the tutelage of Ms. Carol Byers.
A recipient of many honors, Ms. Lewis was most recently awarded the Orazio Tosi Prize 2012, given by the Club Lirica Parma, at the birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi. Ms. Lewis was named the 2010 recipient of the Artist of the Year Award by the Savonlinna Opera Festival. In addition, she was voted a 2010 recipient of the coveted "Oscars of the Opera" by the Foundation of Verona for the Arena. This was the first time this award was given to an artist associated with the Arena of Verona. She is a two-time National Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition. Among her other many achievements, she has also been a finalist of the "XLVI Concours International de Chant de la Ville de Toulouse", a winner of the "Internationalen Gesangswettbewerb Ferruccio Tagliavini" and a winner of the "Concorso Internazionale Di Musica Gian Battista Viotti". Ms. Lewis also won the Opera Prize and the Audience Award in the "Concorso Internationale di Canto Debutto A Merano".
The 2012-13 season will be highlighted by Ms. Lewis’ participation in the bicentennial celebration of Giuseppe Verdi. She will sing the title role in “Aida”, as well as the roles “Elisabetta” in Don Carlos, “Amelia” in Un Ballo in Maschera and the Soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem in some of the leading operatic venues of the world. Another anticipated debut will be the role of “Maddalena” in Giordano’s Andrea Chénier with Opera Orchestra New York in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.
Ms. Lewis’ other highly acclaimed Verdi roles are “Leonora” in Il Trovatore and “Medora” in Il Corsaro. Equally comfortable with multiple composers, she has also been featured as Puccini’s “Mimi” in La Boheme and “Liu” in Turandot, Leoncavallo’s “Nedda” in I Pagliacci, Mozart’s “Donna Anna” in Don Giovanni, Jake Heggie’s “Sister Rose” in Dead Man Walking, and Gershwin’s “Serena” in Porgy and Bess.
Ms. Lewis has performed in such prestigious houses as the Vienna Staatsoper, the l’Opéra de Paris, Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the Arena di Verona, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Mariinsky Theatre and Chorégies d'Orange, in addition to appearing on the far eastern stages of Shanghai, China. She has been directed by many illustrious conductors, including Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Bruno Bartoletti, Philippe Jordan, Donato Renzetti, Daniel Oren, Daniele Gatti, Daniele Callegari, Alberto Veronesi, Philippe Auguin and Gianandrea Noseda.