A voice with an “appealing brew of dark and creamy colors” (New York Times), lirico-spinto soprano Keri Alkema has been praised for her “tonal opulence” (Washington Post) and “incisive musicality” (New York Times).
In the 23/24 season, Keri debuted with Nashville Opera in Pagliacci (Nedda) and the Kalamazoo Symphony for Tosca. In 22/23 she returned to the Canadian Opera Company for the title role in Tosca. Other recent appearances include Charleston Opera Theater for Serenata Italiana followed by returns to Seattle Opera for La bohème (Mimì) and the roster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago for Tosca. Recent appearances include a return to the Canadian Opera Company for Rusalka (Foreign Princess) directed by David McVicar and conducted by Johannes Debus and Washington National Opera for Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira) conducted by Evan Rogister.
Keri has been seen in the houses of the Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, English National Opera, Oper Frankfurt, Théâtre du Capitole, Seattle Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Opéra de Dijon, Palm Beach Opera, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Edmonton Opera, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Minnesota Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, New York City Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera North, Teatro de la Maestranza in Tosca, Un ballo in maschera, Simon Boccanegra, Madama Butterfly, Otello, La bohème (Mimì), Don Carlo (Elisabetta di Valois & Eboli), and Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira).
She returned to the WNO for Tosca in the 2018-2019 season and made her debut at Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona in Un ballo in maschera (Amelia) in a production with costumes by Christian Lacroix. She was seen as Giovanna Seymour in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Anna Bolena, debuted at Opéra de Dijon as Amelia Grimaldi in Simon Boccanegra, and returned to Palm Beach Opera for Tosca. She recently made a number of important debuts as Tosca: her London debut at the English National Opera, her German debut at Oper Frankfurt, and a return to the Canadian Opera Company. Other recent performances include Opéra National de Bordeaux as Eboli in Don Carlo under Paul Daniel, Santa Fe Opera as Donna Elvira in a new production of Don Giovanni under John Nelson, Seattle Opera and Edmonton Opera as Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda, and her first performances of Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly at Teatro Municipal de Santiago. She made her French debut at Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse as Amelia in Un ballo in maschera under the baton of Daniel Oren.
Ms. Alkema made her role debut as Elisabetta di Valois in Verdi’s Don Carlo at Austin Lyric Opera, as well as debuted at Opéra National de Bordeaux as Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena and as Mimì in La bohème at Palm Beach Opera. She returned Teatro Municipal de Santiago for her first performances as Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello and sang her first performances of the title role in Anna Bolena at Minnesota Opera, a role she also covered first at the Washington National Opera. She returned to the Canadian Opera Company in a much-acclaimed role debut as Vitellia in Christopher Alden’s production of La clemenza di Tito and also returned to New York City Opera where she was seen as Amaltea, the Pharaoh’s wife, in Rossini’s Mosè in Egitto at New York City Center. She made her UK debut at Glyndebourne as Mimì in La bohème, followed by Opera North in Leeds as Adalgisa in Christopher Alden’s new production of Norma. Other notable engagements include her appearances at Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville as Freia in Das Rheingold, Atlanta Opera as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Teatro Municipal de Santiago as Amelia Grimaldi in Simon Boccanegra. Ms. Alkema made her soprano role debut to great critical acclaim as Donna Elvira in Christopher Alden’s production of Don Giovanni at the New York City Opera in which the New York Times praised her “compelling, rich-toned” performance.
Ms. Alkema has debuted on the concert stages of the Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Das klagende Lied and Cincinnati May Festival again in Das klagende Lied and also Haydn’s Heiligmesse – Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida, both engagements under the baton of James Conlon, as well as with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni under Roberto Abbado. She also debuted with the New York Philharmonic in the finale to Act One of Don Giovanni as Donna Elvira under music director Alan Gilbert has performed Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. She was also heard as Adalgisa in the original two soprano version of Bellini’s masterpiece Norma at the Caramoor International Music Festival with Will Crutchfield. An active member of the roster of the Marilyn Horne Foundation, she also performed at the Marilyn Horne Foundation Annual Recital at Carnegie Hall. Ms. Alkema has worked with such notable conductors as Plácido Domingo, Emmanuel Villaume, Ricardo Frizza, Heinz Fricke, Antony Walker, and Ann Manson. A frequent recitalist, Ms. Alkema is currently on the roster of the Marilyn Horne Foundation, which sponsored her New York recital debut. She has done many residencies with the Foundation including recitals in Oberlin, Ohio, Winter Park, Florida, Brownville, Nebraska, and for the Art Song of Williamsburg concert series.
Ms. Alkema has been a member of several prestigious young artist programs including the Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera, the Santa Fe Opera and the Music Academy of the West, under the tutelage of Marilyn Horne. She has also been the recipient of prizes from the George London Foundation, Opera Index Competition, Liederkranz Foundation, and Loren L. Zachary National Voice Competition.
AUGUST 2024
