Kristen opens her 2026/2027 as an Ader Emerging Artist with Charlottesville Opera. There, she will be making her role debut as Joy/Cinderella and Berta/Il barbiere di Siviglia, and performing in various concerts throughout the summer. Later this season, Ms. Gillis will be making her company and role debut as Susanna/Le Nozze di Figaro with Tacoma Opera.

This Spring, Ms. Gillis was presented as one of Temple University’s 30 under 30 Honorees as an Arts and Culture Visionary.

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performing as Berta/Il barbiere di Siviglia, Charlottesville Opera (2026)
Djordje Nesic, conductor | Kyle Lang, director
photo courtesy of Rettig Co.

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