Kristen opens her 2025/2026 as an Ader Emerging Artist with Charlottesville Opera. There, she will be making her role debut as Frasuita/Carmen, Edith/The Pirates of Penzance, and performing in various concerts throughout the summer. In mid-September, Kristen will return to Charlottesville Opera as a featured performer in a Rodgers & Hammerstein special, “Oh, What a Beautiful, Enchanted, Impossible Evening” to showcase the company’s 2026 season. Soon after, Ms. Gillis will compete as a Semi-Finalist in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition and will later compete in the Idaho-Montana District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

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performing as Hero/Beatrice and Benedict, Opera Orlando (2025)
Alfred Savia, conductor | Grant Preisser, director
photo courtesy of Ashleigh Ann Gardner

Featured Performer | September 18th

Kristen will join former Ader Emerging Artists in a Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Special with Charlottesville Opera

Semi-Finalist | October 3rd

Kristen will compete as a Semi-Finalist in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition

District Competitor | January 10

Kristen will compete in the Idaho-Montana District of Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition

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Follow along Kristen’s Instagram:

thank you so so much to the very talented @sgwphoto for capturing all of these beautiful photos! if i could post all of them, i would, but i really loved how these turned out. finding a photography who not only could photography POC well, but was als
la contessa 🤍 . . what a time it’s been revisiting the countess after 3 years. from beginning to end, it was fulfilling to always be changing and evolving through this character and it felt like i was performing her for the first time all over
an early birthday present <3 . . so so so grateful to have witnessed such a beautiful concert by @philorch @nezetseguin and @angeljoyblue ♥️ surrounded by friends to hear two world premieres by @aucoincomposer and @valeriecolemanmusic wa
a mostly mozart january . . . . . . . follow @kristenmariegillis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #operasingersofinstagram #blackwomeninopera #latinawomeninopera #operasinger #soprano #opera #operasinger #youngartist #musician #classical #classi