Having recently sung a “kindly, expressive” Mamma Lucia in last May’s Cavalleria Rusticana, mezzo-soprano Katherine Keyes was thrilled to return to Opera Company of the Highlands in December, 2008 to portray her favorite role, the Witch in Hansel & Gretel, previously performed with “delightful antic abandon” with the New York City Opera Education Department and Shreveport Symphony. A busy fall began with September performances of a “rich voiced” Rebecca Nurse in The Crucible with Dicapo Opera in New York City. In November The Crucible traveled to Szeged, Hungary, where it was performed and later broadcast by Mezzo Television to 46 countries. It was the winner of Best Production of the competition, which included companies from France, Germany, Hungary and the UK.
In October she made her debut with Salt Marsh Opera as Alisa in Lucia, performing in Connecticut and Rhode Island. In addition, Katherine has performed over 40 roles in opera, operetta, oratorio and musical theatre, including multiple small roles at NYCO and leads in regional houses.
An avid recitalist, she has performed with Gaït Sirguey in a lecture recital examining French poetry in musical settings and has presented many solo and duet recitals. She often programs music from Scandinavia, and is a past winner of the Kilpinen Art Song Competition. Broadway credits include Madame Chow in the ensemble of Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme, and Choir Member in Melly Still’s Coram Boy.
She maintains private studios in Voice and Alexander Technique, a discipline which re-educates the body to be used with its maximum ease and efficiciency. Katherine has a M.M. in Vocal Performance from North Texas State University, a B.M. from Henderson State University and was certified to teach AT at the IRDEAT school in New York City. Professional organizations: AGMA, Equity, AFTRA, NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) AmSat (American Society for the Alexader Technique).