Kaarin Cecilia Phelps
American soprano Kaarin Cecilia Phelps was born in Massachusetts to a Puerto-Rican and Finnish family and began her musical studies as a trumpet player. She is the Grand Prize Winner of the 2024 Concours International de Chant George Enesco and made her debut last season at the Enescu Festival as Antigone in Enescu’s Œdipe.
Recognized for her powerful voice and dramatic stage presence, the young soprano has already been invited to sing Wagnerian roles. She began the 25/26 season at the Wagner in Vermont Festival and as Dritte Norn / Götterdämmerung and covered Sieglinde / Die Walküre. Continuing this stellar momentum, she also debuted at the Opera de Monte-Carlo in the role of Ortlinde / Die Walküre, stepping in as cover for Sieglinde in the final performance. Ms. Phelps sang Madame Lidoine / Dialogues des Carmélites at the Royaumont Festival.
Praised consistently for her “beautiful line and effortless high notes,” next season holds her role debut as Tosca with The New Opera Company of Boston and her first Beethoven 9 at the Palais Neptune with Opéra de Toulon. Another highlight of the season is a series of concerts in the 6th Festival d’Opera en Mer with Benjamin Bernheim in partnership with Radio Classique.
After beginning her career as a mezzo-soprano, she debuted Donna Elvira / Don Giovanni with the Festival Lyrique de Samoëns and turned to soprano repertoire thereafter. Recently, she performed Clotilde / Norma and Kate Pinkerton / Madama Butterfly at the Opera de Toulon and sang in an Opera Gala at the famous El Minzah in Tangiers, Morocco. She was Ines / Il Trovatore with Opera in the Heights and Cherubino / Le nozze di Figaro and Alisa / Lucia di Lammermoor at the White Oak Music Hall in Houston, Texas where she also spent the 20/21 season as a resident artist.
A strong musician and interpreter of contemporary works, Ms. Phelps created the role of Elena in Tales from a Safe Distance (Hilliard & Boresi) with the Decameron Opera Coalition in 2020. This project was a collaboration of nine U.S. opera companies with baritone Luca Pisaroni at the helm and won several prestigious prizes: a “Freddie” from WQXR (New York Public Radio), 360 of Opera’s Best Collaboration Award, and it was among Opera Wire’s “Top Ten Industry Defining Moments of the Year.” She has performed Carlotta Vance in William Bolcom’s Dinner at Eight, created the roles of Lady Sneerwell in School for Scandal (Robert Nelson) and Cake Shopper / Old Woman in Evan Mack’s Yeltsin in Texas, and numerous others.
As a recitalist, Ms. Phelps performs often with pianist Hugo Philippeau. The duo is in demand for their dynamic and varied repertoire and perform this season in France at Musica Le Mans Festival as well as Les Nocturnes à Solliès-Pont Festival. They will also perform Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 at the Galérie Prodromus in Paris and in Burgundy at l’Église de Saint-Vinnemer.
Representation : General Management
