For mezzo soprano Kristin Gornstein (MM 鈥�08), studying voice performance at CU Boulder鈥檚 College of Music was a time of growth as a singer and actor.
鈥淚 came to the College of Music for the opera experience,鈥� says Gornstein (left, credit Jessica Osber), praised as 鈥渁 fine actress with a deep, spacious sound鈥� (Parterre). 鈥淚 got some great roles while I was there, singing as a soprano. I covered the really high part in 鈥楾he Rape of Lucretia,鈥� among several other roles [including 鈥榁ixen Sharp-Ears鈥� in Leo拧 Jan谩膷ek鈥檚 鈥楾he Cunning Little Vixen,鈥� 鈥楳aria鈥� in Leonard Bernstein鈥檚 鈥榃est Side Story鈥� and 鈥楰itty Hart鈥� in Jake Heggie鈥檚 鈥楧ead Man Walking鈥橾.
鈥淢y experience at CU Boulder was wonderful timing in terms of gaining confidence to audition, knowing that I could carry a stage.鈥�
Indeed, Gornstein is now a frequent performer on the New York opera scene, having appeared as 鈥淟ucretia鈥� in Benjamin Britten鈥檚 鈥淭he Rape of Lucretia鈥� (below right, credit David Altman) and 鈥淩osina鈥� in Gioachino Rossini鈥檚 鈥淚l barbiere di Siviglia鈥� with the Loft Opera, as well as taking on the roles of 鈥淢rs. Slender鈥� in Antonio Salieri鈥檚 鈥淔alstaff鈥� with the Dell鈥橝rte Opera, 鈥淒ulcin茅e鈥� in Jules Massenet鈥檚 鈥淒on Quichotte鈥� with the Utopia Opera and 鈥淩omeo鈥� in Vincenzo Bellini鈥檚 鈥淚 Capuleti e i Montecchi鈥� with Opera Modo. Her many opera roles further include 鈥淎ngelina鈥� in Rossini鈥檚 鈥淟a Cenerentola鈥� with the Salt Marsh Opera, and 鈥淧aul鈥� in the world premiere of Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Clark鈥檚 鈥淗appy Birthday, Wanda June鈥� with the Indianapolis Opera.
Additionally, Gornstein credits her CU Boulder experience with turning her on to new music. 鈥淚 learned how it works鈥攎eeting and working directly with composers and getting the chance to have some input,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he College of Music refined my understanding of collaborating with living composers and premiering their works. It鈥檚 become a big part of what I do in New York.鈥�
Edgy and imaginative, Gornstein is an associate artist with Heartbeat Opera, appearing as featured soloist in at National Sawdust in Brooklyn and as part of the first fully staged opera pastiche ever performed on Manhattan鈥檚 High Line. Previously, she and her husband鈥�, also a College of Music alumnus, having earned a master鈥檚 degree emphasizing both classical and jazz traditions鈥攕pent a year in Stockholm, Sweden, where Drickey was a Fulbright scholar teaching American roots music at the Royal College of Music while learning from Swedish folk masters. Meanwhile, Gornstein attended the Opera College of Stockholm and performed at the Royal Opera, premiering as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Karl Unander-Scharin鈥檚 Opera 鈥淢ecatronica鈥� and reprising that performance in the Operadagen Rotterdam Festival鈥檚 production of 鈥淒istant Voices.鈥�
When the couple (left, onstage performing at 鈥淐ollaboret," credit Heartbeat Opera)听returned to this side of the Atlantic in 2012, Gornstein credits Opera Music Director Nicholas Carthy for connecting her to a voice teacher to hone her singing and deepen her sense of self as an artist. Specifically, Gornstein鈥檚 training includes improvisation study and subsequent performances with OperaWorks founder Ann Baltz, as well as extensive movement and dance training. In 2015, Gornstein was a fellow with the Tanglewood Music Center, where she was featured as soloist in Steven Mackey鈥檚 鈥淢adrigal,鈥� Johann Sebastian Bach鈥檚 Cantata BWV 155 and as 鈥淔ederico Garc铆a Lorca鈥� in excerpts from Osvaldo Golijov鈥檚 鈥淎inadamar.鈥�
Gornstein was further lauded for her portrayal of 鈥淩amiro鈥� in Mozart鈥檚 鈥淟a finta giardiniera鈥� in a co-production by On Site Opera and Atlanta Opera, a role she reprised in 2018 at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. The same year, she made her Carnegie Hall debut, winning third place in the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Competition.
Today, Gornstein and Drickey are at home in Beacon, a suburb of New York. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a small town鈥攁bout 10,000 people鈥� that鈥檚 hugely artistic,鈥� Gornstein reflects. 鈥淚鈥檝e been doing some modern stuff and a lot of earlier music, like the early-Mozart 鈥楽hepherd King.鈥欌��
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, arias from 鈥淭he Shepherd King鈥� will be recorded for video, available this month (check for updates); she hopes the postponed production of 鈥淚l Re Pastore鈥� by the little OPERA theatre of ny (LOTNY) will be successfully rescheduled this fall.
鈥淚鈥檝e worked with LOTNY in the past,鈥� she adds. 鈥淐oming back to those relationships time and time again is incredibly rewarding.鈥�
Her advice to new grads, especially in this period of uncertainty? 鈥淵ou鈥檝e soaked up 23 years or so of learning and taking others鈥� advice. Now, you鈥檙e the one in charge. More than ever, think about what you really want to do鈥攁nd whatever your passion is, there鈥檚 a path waiting for you.
听鈥淣o one knows what鈥檚 happening right now, which can be a wonderful time to ask what you envision for yourself鈥攁nd then follow or create the path that leads you there.鈥�
