Kristen opens her 2024/2025 as a Tomita Young Artist with Finger Lakes Opera. There, she will be featured in the Juneteenth Celebration and Out Loud at the M.A.G. performances. Ms. Gillis will also be covering the leading role of Florine in B.E. Boykin and Jarrod Lee’s Two Corners, as well as performing the roles of Nella/Gianni Schicchi. Beginning in September, Kristen will join Opera Orlando as a Studio Artist for their 24/25 season, “Destiny + Desire”. She makes her role and company debut in Macbeth as the Lady in Waiting. Other roles this season include Noémi and study covering the title role of Massenet’s Cendrillon, Sophie/Werther, Hero/Beatrice and Benedict, covering Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana, and later making her principal artist debut as Lucy in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha.
performing as Noémi/Cendrillon, Opera Orlando (2025)
cond: Alexis Enyart | dir.: James Marvel
photo courtesy of Ashleigh Ann Gardner
“...but the real trio of comic showstoppers are Samantha W. Petersen as the stepmother and Kristen Marie Gillis and Erika Vasallo as her daughters. The three find humor in every movement they make and each expression that rolls across their faces.”
Matt Palm, Orlando Sentinel (“Cendrillon”, Opera Orlando ‘25)
Ader Emerging Artist | May-July
Kristen will join Charlottesville Opera as a 2025 Ader Emerging Artist
Frasquita/Carmen | June 20-22
Kristen will make her role debut as Frasquita in Carmen with Charlottesville Opera
Edith/The Pirates of Penzance | July 11-13
Kristen will make her role debut as Edith in The Pirates of Penzance with Charlottesville Opera
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