Her Story
Conductor KRISTIN ROACH is committed to the ongoing evolution of opera in the 21st century with 40+ new operas and 20+ world premieres under her baton. Leading repertoire spanning six centuries and performances around the globe, she is the recipient of numerous awards, including The American Prize in Opera Conducting and two Latin Grammy® nominations.
Recent conducting engagements include Cendrillon/Alice Tierney for Lawrence Opera Theater, Thumbprint for the University of Arizona and The Crucible for Opera in the Ozarks. Previous projects include the world premiere of Alice in Wonderland by Amy Scurria at Red River Lyric Opera, Thumbprint for Chautauqua Opera Company, Two Remain for Lyric Opera of Orange County, Tosca for Texas Concert Opera Collective, Alcina, Suor Angelica, Curlew River, and The Nefarious, Immoral but Highly Profitable Adventures of Mr. Burke and Mr. Hare for Lawrence Opera Theater, La Cenerentola for Pacific Opera Project, and Prima la musica poi le parole for Vocal Academy of Opera in Bodrum, Turkey.
Kristin serves as Assistant Professor of Music at Lawrence University, where she is opera conductor and vocal coach.
As Founding Music Director of Alamo City Opera, where she served from 2012 to its closure in 2019, Ms. Roach conducted 17 productions of operas, including many South Texas premieres. A San Antonio native, she partnered with founder and General Director, the late Mark Richter, to help ACO establish an atmosphere of intimate opera. With diverse and often ground-breaking programming including fresh, energetic takes on Dido and Aeneas, Acis and Galatea, Cenerentola and the Star Trek version of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio, Trouble in Tahiti, The Medium, and Laura Kaminsky’s As One, Alamo City’s productions drew hundreds, boasting an average audience age under 35, many of whom were first-time opera-goers.
In recognition of the area’s wealth of Spanish speaking residents, Alamo City also presented San Antonio’s first full-length opera in Spanish, La hija de Rappaccini by Mexican composer Daniel Catan; followed by rave reviews for Piazzolla’s “operita” Maria de Buenos Aires. ACO also developed signature collaborations which featured Ms. Roach at the piano, including Opera vs Broadway I, II, and III (featuring a wealth of local opera and musical theater talent), Opera in the Park (a free concert series in beautiful Travis Park), and Songs by Dvorak and Brahms in collaboration with Alamo Arts Ballet Theater.
Additional conducting credits include the world premieres of Mollicone’s Children of the Sun (orchestrated) and Leo Chadburn’s Golden Space City of God, Don Giovanni, The Turn of the Screw, A Little Night Music, La Bohème, The Pirates of Penzance, Così fan tutte, Die Zauberflöte, Don Pasquale, The Medium, Bastien und Bastienne/La Curandera, The Italian Lesson, Gianni Schicchi, Buoso’s Ghost, Bon Appetit, Gallantry, Prince Orlovsky’s Ball, Liszt’s Christus, and The Consul.
Ms. Roach has prepared productions for the San Francisco Opera, San Diego Opera, Tulsa Opera, Utah Opera, San Antonio Opera, San Antonio Symphony, Brevard Music Institute, Aspen Music Festival, Breckenridge Music Institute, Taos Opera Institute, Opera Theatre of Rochester, Eastman Opera Theater, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Spotlight on Opera, and Texas Concert Opera Collective.
Her recording of chamber works by Miguel del Aguila with Camerata San Antonio, Salon Buenos Aires, was nominated for two Latin Grammy® Awards.
She is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Applied Music (Piano), the Performer’s Certificate in Piano, and a Master of Music in Piano Performance/Literature and Piano Accompanying/ Chamber Music.