Role

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Performer

Period

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Modern

Genre

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Opera

 

Kristine Ciesinski was a renowned American soprano who was born on February 16, 1952, in Elmira, New York. She was the daughter of a Polish-American father and an Italian-American mother. Ciesinski grew up in a musical family, and her parents encouraged her to pursue a career in music from a young age. Ciesinski began her musical training at the age of six, studying piano and voice. She later attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in voice. She continued her studies at the Juilliard School in New York City, where she earned a Master of Music degree in voice. Ciesinski made her professional debut in 1978, singing the role of the Countess in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with the New York City Opera. She quickly established herself as a rising star in the opera world, and went on to perform with many of the world's leading opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, the Paris Opera, and the Vienna State Opera. Ciesinski was known for her powerful voice and dramatic stage presence, and she was particularly acclaimed for her performances in the works of contemporary composers. She created many roles in world premieres, including the title role in John Harbison's The Great Gatsby, the role of Lulu in Alban Berg's Lulu, and the role of Marie Antoinette in John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles. Ciesinski also had a successful concert career, performing with many of the world's leading orchestras and conductors. She was particularly noted for her performances of Mahler's symphonies, and she recorded several of them with the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Throughout her career, Ciesinski received many awards and honors for her performances. She was a recipient of the Richard Tucker Award, the highest honor for an American opera singer, and she was also awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for her contributions to the arts. One of Ciesinski's most memorable performances was her portrayal of the title role in Richard Strauss's Salome at the Metropolitan Opera in 1992. Her performance was widely praised for its intensity and dramatic power, and it cemented her reputation as one of the leading sopranos of her generation. Ciesinski continued to perform and record throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, but her career was tragically cut short when she was killed in a plane crash in 2010. She was on her way to perform in a concert in Montana when the plane she was traveling in crashed, killing all on board. Despite her untimely death, Ciesinski's legacy as one of the greatest sopranos of her generation lives on. Her powerful voice and dramatic stage presence continue to inspire and captivate audiences around the world, and her recordings remain a testament to her extraordinary talent and artistry.

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