Opera Star Kristin Lewis

Opera Star Kristin Lewis Will Perform 

November 22 at Wildwood Park 

  International opera star Kristin Lewis will perform 4 p.m. November 22 at Wildwood Park for the Arts to benefit her scholarship fund for emerging Arkansas vocalists.

    Ms. Lewis is a former resident of Little Rock and was graduated from the University of Central Arkansas. She has been much lauded for her interpretations of Verdi heroines. 

   Ms. Lewis was formerly a section leader in the choir at Second Presbyterian Church, and she began her vocal studies at the University of Central Arkansas under the guidance of Dr. Martha Antolik. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she continued with her Master of Music studies at the University of Tennessee. She now resides in Vienna, Austria, where she regularly appears on some of the world’s greatest opera stages in performances of Aida, Il Trovatore, I due Foscari, Turandot, Don Giovanni, and more.

  At the November benefit concert, Ms. Lewis will perform arias from works by Verdi and Gounod, a suite from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and the second act of Puccini’s La Boheme. Internationally renowned American bass-baritone Kevin Short will appear as a guest artist on the program. Korean collaborative pianist and University of Arkansas at Little Rock music professor Kyung-Eun Na will also perform. Bevan Keating, artistic director for the Little Rock performing arts organization Praeclara, will conduct.

   Tickets may be purchased online at wildwoodpark.org or by calling 821-7275. General admission is $50, and student tickets are $15. VIP seating and parking are available for $100 per ticket. A percentage of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Kristin Lewis Foundation Vocal Scholarship, which benefits singers between the ages of 18 and 23 who are pursuing a degree in vocal performance or music education or a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in voice. The scholarship funds tuition expenses, master class participation, and opportunities for national or international exposure for singers studying both inside and outside the state of Arkansas. Applications for the 2016 awards will be due next spring. 

    Ms. Lewis wants to help music students pursue their dreams. “The purpose of my foundation is to encourage Arkansas music students at all levels to pursue their education and enable them to receive the inspiration and guidance they need to achieve their dreams,” she said.

  For more information, contact the Kristin Lewis Foundation at kristinlewisfoundation@gmail.com.