One-Line Bio
I am a post-educational, pre-professional, non-wealthy opera singer.
Biography
Christine Renée Keene, soprano, holds a master degree in voice from Florida State University. She graduated with the Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from the University of Oregon in 2004 after transferring from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She was seen as Flora in a special combined performance of the opera and play, The Turn of the Screw (Britten), with the Anchorage Opera Dark Night Series and in Albert Herring (Britten) as Cissie Woodger with Portland State University’s Bel Canto Northwest. While in Alaska she studied voice with Dr. Sherri Weiler and under the tutelage of Dr. Ann Tedards at the UO. In 2003, Christine made her debut with the UO
Opera Workshop as Juliette in Roméo et Juliette (Gounod) and as the 1st Spirit in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart). She enchanted audiences with her high notes as a soloist in Carmina Burana (Orff) and as Mrs. Nordstrom in A Little Night Music (Sondheim). At Oregon, Christine was the recipient of the H.B. Densmore and Exine Bailey voice scholarships.
In Alaska, Christine was the 1st place winner of both the 2001 and 2002 Anchorage Concert Chorus Vocal Competitions and received the
1st place prize in the 2001 NATS Vocal competition. In spring 2002, Christine performed Broadway hits with Juliana Osinchuk, John Fraser,
and Kate Egan in the Anchorage Festival of Music’s Spring Soiree. She was also a soloist in the AGO annual performance of Handel’s Messiah in 2001. In 2004, Christine was delighted to return to Alaska to present a solo recital as the 2004 Young Alaskan Artist – a scholarship given to a talented and aspiring Alaskan musician – in which she displayed “well-turned roulades…admirable high notes…and coloratura strengths.” (Anchorage Daily News)
With Florida State Opera Christine revisited Albert Herring, this time as Miss Wordsworth, performed Euridice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice,
and played the title role in Little Red’s Most Unusual Day with the FSU Outreach Opera. She was also soloist with the Tallahassee Community
Chorus, under the direction of Dr. André Thomas, in their performance of Handel’s Dixit Dominus. During the summer of 2005, Christine performed with the Amadeus Opernensemble Salzburg as Despina (Cosí fan tutte) in Salzburg, Austria, and studied with renowned tenor William Lewis. In 2006, Christine returned to Salzburg to perform the title role in Mozart’s Zaïde.
In the spring of 2007, Christine was again invited by Anchorage Opera to participate in its Young Artist Program. While there, Christine
performed as Little Red Riding Hood, the trio in Bernstein's "Trouble in Tahiti", and covered Juliette for AO mainstage production.
Christine also enjoys performing as a jazz soloist. She was a member of the Far North Jazz Quintet while in Alaska and has sung with jazz combos while at FSU.
Christine currently resides in Vienna, Austria.
Evening of Bernstein, Anchorage Opera 2007:
But the most telling musical moment came in the first half of the program, a selection of Bernstein songs from his early Broadway era, when Keene sang “My House” from Peter Pan. In this number, one could hear her well-supported soprano “play” the space, drawing just a little reverb from the beams and walls. Keene’s characterization of a 10-
year-old also charmed in the cycle “I Hate Music.”
-- Anchorage Daily News
