Kaarin Cecilia Phelps
Voici une version plus ambitieuse, avec un style digne d’une grande agence internationale. J’ai davantage construit un récit autour de son évolution vers le répertoire dramatique et wagnérien, qui constitue aujourd’hui son principal argument artistique.
American soprano Kaarin Cecilia Phelps is rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting dramatic sopranos of her generation. Combining a powerful, richly coloured voice with commanding theatrical presence and exceptional musical intelligence, she has already attracted international attention in both the Wagnerian and Italian repertoires while maintaining a strong commitment to contemporary opera.
Born in Massachusetts to a Puerto Rican mother and Finnish father, she initially trained as a trumpet player, an instrumental background that continues to inform her remarkable musical precision and breath control. After beginning her professional career as a mezzo-soprano, she made a highly successful transition to the soprano repertoire, quickly establishing herself as an artist of exceptional dramatic potential.
Her international breakthrough came in 2024, when she was awarded the Grand Prize at the George Enescu International Voice Competition. She subsequently made her debut at the prestigious George Enescu Festival as Antigone in Enescu’s Œdipe, confirming her arrival among the most promising young dramatic voices on today’s operatic scene.
Already recognised for the power and brilliance of her voice, Kaarin Cecilia Phelps has rapidly attracted attention in the Wagner repertoire. She began the 2025–2026 season at the Wagner in Vermont Festival before making a series of important Wagnerian debuts as the Third Norn in Götterdämmerung while also covering Sieglinde in Die Walküre. She subsequently made her debut at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo as Ortlinde in Die Walküre. During the same season, she appeared as Madame Lidoine in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites at the Royaumont Festival.
Frequently praised for her “beautiful line and effortless high notes,” her 2026–2027 season marks another important stage in her artistic development with her role debut as Tosca with the New Opera Company of Boston, her first performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the Palais Neptune with the Opéra de Toulon, and a series of gala concerts alongside Benjamin Bernheim at the Festival d’Opéra en Mer, in partnership with Radio Classique.
Before embracing the dramatic soprano repertoire, she enjoyed considerable success as a mezzo-soprano, notably making her debut as Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Festival Lyrique de Samoëns, a role that marked her transition to soprano. Her recent performances have also included Clotilde in Bellini’s Norma and Kate Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Opéra de Toulon, as well as appearances in gala concerts at the legendary El Minzah Hotel in Tangier. Earlier engagements include Ines in Verdi’s Il trovatore with Opera in the Heights, Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Alisa in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in Houston, where she was a Resident Artist during the 2020–2021 season.
Alongside the standard repertoire, Kaarin Cecilia Phelps has become a passionate advocate of contemporary opera. In 2020 she created the role of Elena in Tales from a Safe Distance by Hilliard and Boresi with the Decameron Opera Coalition, a landmark collaboration bringing together nine American opera companies under the artistic leadership of Luca Pisaroni. The project received widespread international recognition, winning a WQXR Freddie Award, 360 of Opera’s Best Collaboration Award, and being named one of OperaWire’s Top Ten Industry-Defining Moments of the Year. She has also created roles including Lady Sneerwell in Robert Nelson’s School for Scandal and the Cake Shopper/Old Woman in Evan Mack’s Yeltsin in Texas, in addition to performing Carlotta Vance in William Bolcom’s Dinner at Eight.
With her commanding dramatic presence, powerful vocal resources and rapidly expanding Wagnerian repertoire, Kaarin Cecilia Phelps is establishing herself as one of the most promising dramatic sopranos of the new generation. Equally compelling in Wagner, Puccini, French opera and contemporary works, she is a rising artist whose career is attracting increasing attention on both sides of the Atlantic.
Representation : General Management
