Blythe Gaissert, Mezzo-Soprano

Mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert has established herself as one of the preeminent interpreters of some of the brightest stars of new classical music. A true singing actress, she has received critical acclaim for her interpretations of both new and traditional repertoire in opera, concert, and chamber repertoire. “Gaissert gave a dramatically powerful, vocally stunning portrait of a woman growing increasingly desperate and delusional from lack of contact with the outer world. Gaissert’s development of Loats’s personality was utterly believable, and she gave a virtuoso performance of this very challenging music’ (Arlo McKinnon, Opera News for The Echo Drift). Known for her warm tone, powerful stage presence, and impeccable musicianship and technical prowess…."Mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert was impossible to ignore as the headstrong Mother Marie. She has a pure, powerful and appealing voice and a forceful stage presence to match." (Denver Post)

In the 2018-19 season, Ms. Gaissert created the role of Georgia O’Keefe in Today It Rains with San Francisco’s Opera Parallele and American Opera Projects, the world premiere of the third opera by the highly acclaimed and record setting team of As One: Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed. She will also be reprising her role as Hannah After in her 6th production of As One with New York City Opera/American Opera Projects, singing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with both the Buffalo Symphony and Sarasota Orchestra, and performing a workshop performance of Laura Kaminsky’s fourth opera, also with librettist Kimberly Reed, Postville: Hometown to the World with Opera Fusion: New Works in conjunction with Cincinnati Opera and her Alma mater Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.

Previous engagements include Carmen, Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus, Hansel, Siegrune in Die Walkure, Lucretia in Rape of Lucretia, Maddalena in Rigoletteo, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, soloist in the Verdi Requiem, Berio Folk Songs, Mozart Requiem, world premieres by John Adams, Laura Kaminsky, Mikael Karlsson, Robert Paterson, Martin Hennessy, Mohammed Fairouz, Richard Pearson Thomas, Glen Roven, Yotam Haber, Jorge Martin, Tom Cipullo, Renee Favand-See, Gilda Lyons, Jessica Meyer, Gabriel Kahane and more. Companies include the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, Dallas Symphony, San Diego Opera, Prototype Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Lyrique en Mer, Tulsa Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Sarasota Opera, and Opera Saratoga.