KristineOpolais

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Soprano
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Mark Hildrew

Mark Hildrew

Executive Director
Seb Mallet

Seb Mallet

Associate Artist Manager
Imogen Aley

Imogen Aley

Artist Administrator

Representation

Worldwide opera representation with Askonas Holt Concert Management: KD Schmid

About Kristine

In the 2024/25 season, Kristine will make her debut at Oper Leipzig, singing Katerina Izmailova in Lady Macbeth of Mtsesnk, conducted by Andris Nelsons and also returns to her signature role of Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly at Tenerife Opera and Sofia Opera. On the concert scene, she will sing Shostakovich's Symphony no.14 at Finnish National Opera and Gewandhaus Leipzig, gala concerts in Antwerp, Krakowand Saltillo, Mexico with Stephen Costello and a recital at Shanghai Oriental Art Center with collaborator Agnese Eglina.

Highlights of Ms. Opolais’ 2023/24 season included a a concert performance of Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and at Boston Symphony Hall, led by Andris Nelsons. She will revive the role of Katerina Izmailova in a major return to Hamburgische Staatsoper to finish the season. Last season also saw her greatly-anticipated return to the title role of Verdi’s Aida, in a new production at Lithuanian National Opera. She joined celebrated pianist Agnese Egliņa for a series of recitals in Latvia, Hungary and Brazil.

Other recent highlights include Opolais singing the role of Cio-Cio San at the Teatro Municipale Giuseppe Verdi Salerno. Critics raved about her “highly moving” performance, saying she “leads the character with perfection, she is THE Madame Butterfly, and she has endless power over the personality.”

Kristine is based in Riga, Latvia

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Representation

Worldwide opera representation with Askonas Holt Concert Management: KD Schmid

Season Highlights

Nov 2023
Finnish National Opera
Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony no.14 Roderick Cox (conductor) Mika Kares (bass)
Nov 2023
Tenerife Opera
Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio San) Ramon Tebar (conductor) Stefano Monti (director) House Debut
Sep 2024
Koningin Elisabethzaal Antwerpen
Gala Concert Kerem Hasan (conductor) Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Selected Repertoire

BelliniNorma (Title Role)
BoitoMefistofele (Margherita)
CileaAdriana Lecouvreur (Title Role)
DvořákRusalka (Title Role)
PoulencLa Voix Humaine
PucciniGianni Schicchi (Lauretta)   •   La bohème (Mimi)   •   Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio San)   •   Manon Lescaut (Manon)   •   Suor Angelica (Title Role)   •   Il Tabarro (Giorgetta)   •   Tosca (Title Role)
ShostakovichLady Macbeth of Mtsensk (Katerina)
VerdiUn ballo in Maschera (Amelia)   •   Aida (Title Role)   •   Simon Boccanegra (Amelia)

Sample Programmes

  • Recital Programme

    VERDI: Aida – „Ritorna vincitor!” – Aida’s aria from Act 1 CILEA: Tre pezzi – Romanza, op. 29, no. 1 CILEA: Adriana Lecouvreur – Intermezzo (arranged for solo piano) CILEA: Adriana Lecouvreur – „Del sultano Amuratte m'arrendo all'imper… Io son l’umile ancella” – Adriana’s aria from Act 1 CILEA: Adriana Lecouvreur – “Poveri fiori” – Adriana's aria from Act 4 VON WILM: Aus der Skizzen-Mappe – Abendstunde, op. 230, no. 6 VON WILM: Sommerfäden – Junges Leid, op. 12, no. 2 VON WILM: Trifolium, op. 116 VERDI: La forza del destino – „Pace, pace mio Dio” – Leonora’s aria from Act 4 --- Interval --- PONCHIELLI: La Gioconda – „Suicidio!... In questi fieri momenti” – Gioconda’s aria from Act 4 PUCCINI: Manon Lescaut – Intermezzo (arranged for solo piano) PUCCINI: Madama Butterfly – „Un bel dì vedremo” – Cio-Cio-San’s aria from Act 2 PUCCINI: Madama Butterfly – Humming Chorus from Act 2 (arranged for solo piano) PUCCINI: Madama Butterfly – „Tu, tu, piccolo iddio” – Cio-Cio-San’s aria from Act 3 DEBUSSY: Suite bergamasque – Clair de lune, L. 75, no. 3 DVOŘÁK: Rusalka – „Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém” – Rusalka’s Song to the Moon from Act 1

News

Press

  • Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

    Hamburgische Staatsoper
    May 2024
    • Unsere Lady Macbeth des Abends heißt Kristīne Opolais, an diese komplizierten Namen und ihre Unübersichtlichkeit muss sich der geschätzte Leser schon mal besser einstellen, man verliert sich wie bei Dostojewski geradezu in ihnen: Sie ist für mich wunderbar besetzt, in Höhen und Juchzen und Klagen wirklich mitreißend, und schön, und auch von sehr ansprechender Gestalt, wenn man es sagen darf." "Our Lady Macbeth of the evening is called Kristīne Opolais, the esteemed reader will have to get used to these complicated names and their confusion, you almost lose yourself in them, as with Dostoyevsky: For me, she is wonderfully cast, really stirring in the high notes and cheers and laments, and beautiful, and also of a very appealing character, if I may say so

    • Doch wenn Kristīne Opolais als Katerina Lwowna Ismailowa auftritt, schlägt die Stimmung im Orchester ins heldenhaft-zärtliche um. So klingt keine Mörderin, sondern eine Heroine. Opolais greift diesen Ansatz dankbar und phasenweise ausgezeichnet auf." "But when Kristīne Opolais appears as Katerina Lvovna Ismailova, the mood in the orchestra changes to a heroic and tender one. That's not what a murderer sounds like, but a heroine. Opolais takes up this approach gratefully and at times excellently.