Opolais is a regular at such opera houses as Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin,
Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro alla Scala and Royal Opera House Covent Garden, working with
such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Chailly, Daniel Harding, Louis Langrée, Andris
Nelsons, Gianandrea Noseda and Kazushi Ono. In the 2010/2011 season, she was an overnight
sensation both at Bayerische Staatsoper, as the title role in "Rusalka", and at the Royal
Opera House Covent Garden, playing "Madama Butterfly". Her performances at both houses
had an enormous impact, earning her extremely high critical praise.
In the current season, she has also made a highly successful debut appearance at New York’s
Metropolitan Opera, performing the role of Magda in “La Rondine”. She is returning to the Met
every season. She will also make her debut at Opernhaus Zürich in 2012/2013, as the title role
in "Jenufa" (also her debut in this role). Further plans include returns to Deutsche Staatsoper
for performances of ''La Boheme”, Wiener Staatsoper, also for “La Boheme” and her return to
Covent Garden as the title role in “Tosca”. In the future, she will make her debut at Hamburgische
Staatsoper, also making her role debut in the part of Desdemona in "Otello".
In recent seasons, Opolais' concert performances have included appearances at Salzburg Festival
(performing in Shostakovich Symphony No. 14), Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, the Royal Danish
Orchestra in Copenhagen, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln and she is a regular guest with City
of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with whom she appears on tour. She made her debut with
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in summer 2012 at their Odeonsplatz concert
and also appears for the first time with Wiener Symphoniker in spring 2013 for concerts and a
recording project. She returns to Munich later in the season, to appear for the first time on the
prestigious 'Vocalissimo' concert series.
Recent DVD recordings have included Deutsche Staatsoper’s production of Prokofiev's "The
Gambler", in which Opolais sang the role of Polina under the baton of Daniel Barenboim,
"Rusalka" from the Bayerische Staatsoper production, which was released last season to high
critical praise, and Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugene Onegin’ from the 2011 production at Palau de les
Arts ‘Reina Sofia’ Valencia, released this season. A CD recording with WDR Sinfonieorchester
Köln of Puccini's "Suor Angelica" is planned for release with Orfeo International.
Opolais was a soloist of the Latvian National Opera from 2003 until 2007. She won the Paul
Sakss Singers' Award in 2004, the Latvian Annual Theatre Award for Best Opera Artist and the
Latvian Cultural Foundation Award in 2005. She was also awarded the Latvian Great Music
Award in 2006 and 2007 for her role as Lisa in "Pique Dame".
Kristīne Opolais was born in Latvia in 1979. She studied voice at the Latvian Academy of Music
and with Margreet Honig in Amsterdam.
© Konzertdirektion Schmid
