Kristin Lewis

Kristin Lewis, Soprano

Kristin Lewis is gaining international recognition as a leading Lyrico-spinto soprano of classic beauty and charming stage presence. Her voice is noted for possessing a warm-bodied elegant quality, and exhibiting high musical sensibility and tender wells of emotion. Increasingly in demand as a Verdian Soprano, her house debut at the Vienna Staatsoper is highly anticipated, where she will sing the title role of Verdi's Aida during the 2013-14 season. These performances will be followed by her house debut at the Opéra Bastille as Soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem, under the baton of Maestro Philippe Jordan.

During the 2011-12 season, Ms. Lewis was featured in the Verdi Festival of the Teatro Regio of Parma, Italy, in her role debut of “Amelia” in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera. She followed these performances with her house debut at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, singing the role of “Nedda” in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci. These performances were followed by repeat performances of the role of “Amelia” in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera with the Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti of Modena, Italy. Ms. Lewis will make her return to Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Italy, in the role of “Leonora” in Verdi’s Il Trovatore, and her house debut at the Opéra de Nice, France, in the same role. Other illustrious performances will include her return to Teatro Regio of Parma, in the title role of Verdi’s “Aida;” the role of “Mimi” in Puccini’s La Boheme with Teatro La Fenice; and her return to the Savonlinna Opera Festival for repeat performances of the title role in Verdi’s “Aida.”

During the 2012-13 season, Ms. Lewis will make her role debut of “Elizabetta” in Verdi’s Don Carlo at Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, under the baton of Maestro Zubin Mehta. Other highly anticipated performances include her title role debut of “Luisa Miller” with the Isreali Opera, as well as a tour in South Korea in the title role of Verdi’s “Aida,” under the baton of Maestro Daniel Oren.

During the 2010-2011 season, Ms. Lewis debuted the role "Medora" in Verdi's Il Corsaro with Opera Bilbao in Spain, under the baton of Maestro Renato Palumbo. She was featured as the Soprano soloist in Rossini's Stabat Mater with Maestro Riccardo Muti with Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy. She followed these performances with her debut of "Nedda" in Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci with Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Italy. Her debut as Soprano soloist of Verdi's Requiem with Maestro Zubin Mehta conducting the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino orchestra followed these performances in the Easter Concert of the Cathedral of Orvieto, Italy. Summer performances included her theatre debut at The Israeli Opera's summer festival in Masada in the title role of Verdi's “Aida,” under the baton of Maestro Daniel Oren; the role of “Nedda” with Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy; as well as the title role in Verdi’s “Aida” at the Teatro Antico of Taormina, Italy.

Ms. Lewis began the 2009-10 season singing the role “Leonora” in Verdi's Il Trovatore with Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, under the baton of Maestro Massimo Zanetti. She followed this production with more performances of “Leonora” in Verdi's Il Trovatore with Lirica Opera Festival Veneto under the baton of Maestro Omer Meir Wellber. Other performances of the season included her North American debut of the title role of Verdi's “Aida” with Opera Birmingham and concerts with Maestro Donato Renzetti singing the role of “Leonora” in Il Trovatore with Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana. Ms. Lewis sang her title role debut of “Tosca” with the Savonlinna Opera Festival, where she was also voted the honor of the Festival's 2010 Artist of the Year. Summer performances also included her return to the Arena di Verona to sing the title role in Verdi's Aida, under the baton of Maestro Daniel Oren.

Ms. Lewis made her triumphant Bayerische Staatsoper debut during the 2008-09 season singing the title role of Verdi's “Aida” under the baton of Maestro Daniele Gatti. Other resplendent debuts of Verdi's “Aida” took place at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma and the Arena di Verona with Maestro Daniel Oren conducting, as well as Teatro Verdi di Padova under the baton of Maestro Omer Meir Wellber. Her Teatro La Fenice debut followed as Soprano Soloist in Britten's War Requiem with Maestro Bruno Bartoletti conducting, with whom she also gave Gala Concerts at Teatro Politeama Pratese and Teatro Manzoni. She sang her Opera Bilbao debut with the role “Micaela” in Bizet's Carmen.

Ms. Lewis obtained an enormous success in her Italian debut during the 2007-08 season singing the role “Leonora” in Verdi's Il Trovatore under the baton of Maestro Bruno Bartoletti at Teatro Carlo Felice. Other notable engagements included the title role in Verdi’s “Aida” at Cairo Opera (Egypt), the Bizkaia Arena (Barakaldo, Spain) and the Savonlinna Opera Festival with Johan Botha as Radames; her Dresden Semperoper debut singing “Sister Rose” in the European premiere of Heggie's Dead Man Walking, followed by performances of role “Liu” in Turandot; “Serena” in Porgy and Bess at Opera de Lyon; “Mimi” in La Boheme and “Donna Anna” in Don Giovanni at Opera Birmingham; and the title role in Wolf-Ferrari's Il Segreto di Susanna at the Konzerthaus Wien.

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 in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Among her 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".

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Ms. Lewis earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Central Arkansas. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She participated as member of the Knoxville Opera Young Artist's Studio while receiving her Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Tennessee School of Music at Knoxville. Ms. Lewis currently lives in Vienna, Austria, where she is a student of dramatic soprano Carol Byers.