Kirsten MacKinnon
Described by Opera UK as a “heroine [with] poise, expressive singing, excellent vocalism, and a dark and full tone,” Canadian soprano Kirsten MacKinnon has captured the attention of audiences across North America and Europe. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music under the mentorship of Professor Edith Wiens, she held the Alfred Greenberg Memorial Fellowship during her studies, and was also a grant holder of the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation for Young Canadian Opera Singers. In the 2023–2024 season, Kirsten will debut with Opéra de Montréal, singing Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro, and will return to Vancouver Opera as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. In concert, she will sing a tribute to Maria Callas with the Orchestre symphonique de Laval in Québec.
Recent operatic highlights have included the Canadian Opera Company and Glyndebourne Festival as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte; Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro; Oper Frankfurt for her debut as Inès in L’Africaine, described by Heute Musik as “dreamlike;” as well as the Countess in Capriccio, Micaëla in Carmen, the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, and Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow. Other notable appearances have included Micaëla at Opera Philadelphia, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Aix-en-Provence Festival on tour to Beijing, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, and the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with Garsington Opera Festival.
In addition to her operatic engagements, Kirsten has performed in concert with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, the orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Curtis Chamber Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. She has also given recitals in Vancouver, Philadelphia, New York, Bayreuth, Neumarkt, and Spoleto.
Based in Montreal, Kirsten was a Grand Finals winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the Grand Prize winner at the Canadian Music Competition in Montreal, and Classical Singer Magazine’s voice competition.