Judith Christin
Artist in Residence
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Mezzo-soprano Judith Christin has performed over one hundred roles with the leading opera companies throughout the United States including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, among many others.
For the 2011-12 season, Ms. Christin makes her debut with the Norwegian National Opera as Mrs Sedley in Britten’s Peter Grimes, followed by Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Boston Lyric Opera. Last season she performed the role of Susie in a new production of Leonard Bernstein’s A Quiet Place with New York City Opera, followed by the Marquise De Birkenfeld in La Fille du Régiment with PORTopera in Maine.
Ms. Christin recently made her debut at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as the Wife and Owl in The Cunning Little Vixen, Mother Goose in a concert version of The Rake’s Progress with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Portland Opera, all in the 2009 – 2010 season. In the summer of 2010, she returned to Santa Fe Opera as Mother Herring in a new production of Albert Herring directed by Paul Curran and conducted by Sir Andrew Davis.
Recent engagements include performances of Mama Lucia in Cavalleria rusticana with Houston Grand Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago, Auntie in Peter Grimes with San Diego Opera, Grandmother Burjya in Janacek’s Jenufa with Washington National Opera, and Glimmerglass Opera, Frau Mary in concert performances of Der fliegende Holländer with Opera Colorado, the Wife and the Owl, Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Zita in Gianni Schicchi, and Mrs. Sedley in Peter Grimes, all with the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan and China. Additionally, she has sung Berta and Hostess of the Inn in Boris Godunov with San Diego Opera, Third Lady in The Magic Flute with Opera Colorado, Mme. Pernelle in Kirke Mechem’s Tartuffe with Lake George Opera, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro and the Marquise De Birkenfeld with Indianapolis Opera.
Ms. Christin enjoys a strong relationship with many leading American opera companies. In Chicago she has performed Mrs. Lovett in 'Sweeney Todd' opposite Bryn Terfel in the title role, Emma Jones in Kurt Weill’s 'Street Scene', the Forrester’s Wife and the Owl in 'The Cunning Little Vixen', and Martha in Boito’s 'Mefistofele', among other roles. With San Francisco Opera, she has sung the Forrester’s Wife, Mamma Lucia in 'Cavalleria rusticana', Gertrude Stein in 'The Mother of Us All', Annina in 'Der Rosenkavalier', Marcellina, Martha in 'Mefistofele', and Baba The Turk and Mother Goose in 'The Rake’s Progress' among others. With Houston Grand Opera she has performed Mistress Quickly in 'Falstaff', Gertrude in 'Roméo et Juliette', Grandmother Buryja, Despina in 'Così fan tutte', Effie Belle Tate in 'Cold Sassy Tree' (world premiere), the Voice of Antonia’s Mother in 'Les contes d’Hoffmann', and Mary in 'Der fliegende Holländer', among others.
At Santa Fe Opera, Ms. Christin has performed Mrs. Sedley in 'Peter Grimes', Madame Larina in 'Eugene Onegin', Princess Bozenza in 'Countess Maritza', Meg Page in 'Falstaff', Margret in 'Wozzeck', Marcellina, Mère Marie in 'Dialogues des Carmélites', Suzuki in 'Madama Butterfly', Despina, Adelaide in 'Arabella', Baba the Turk, and Berta. At the Metropolitan Opera (which included one hundred ninety –three performances), she has been heard as the Witch in 'Hänsel und Gretel', Mrs. Sedley, Third Lady in 'Die Zauberflöte', Macellina, the Countess in 'Andrea Chénier' (PBS broadcast with Pavarotti and Levine), Filipievna in 'Eugene Onegin' and Rossweisse in 'Die Walküre', among others.
As a highly sought after interpreter of new and unusual repertoire, Ms. Christin has created several roles in the U.S. premieres of many operas, including the role of Susanna in John Corigliano's 'Ghosts of Versailles' at the Metropolitan Opera in 1991, which was also broadcast on PBS and available commercially. She created the role of Effie Belle Tate in 'Cold Sassy Tree' at Houston Grand Opera. She also sang the role of Dolly in the U.S. premiere of Iain Hamilton's 'Anna Karenina' with the Los Angeles Opera and the role of La Baronne in the American premiere of Massenet's 'Cherubin' at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, her other world premiere performances include Beeson's 'Dr. Heidegger's Fountain of Youth', Burton's 'The Duchess of Malfi', Pasatieri's 'Signor Deluso', Titus's 'Rosina', and revised versions of Pasatieri's 'Washington Square' and Mayer's 'Death in the Family'.
Judith celebrates 37 years of marriage to Larry Glenn and they have lived in Denver for 26 years. Judith is currently Artist in Residence with Metropolitan State University of Denver.
