Kirsten Ashley Wiest
Soprano
Award-winning coloratura soprano Kirsten Ashley Wiest is firmly committed to the continuous evolution of classical vocal music. Her “bright, dazzling vocal technique” (San Diego Story) has captured the attention of composers worldwide, resulting in numerous world premiere performances including works by James Erber (UK), Lei Liang (CN/US), Veronika Krausas (CA/US), Gérard Pape (FR), Rand Steiger (US), Jack Van Zandt (US), and Annie Hsieh (AU), among many others.
Kirsten has sung as a soloist with the GRAMMY-winning Partch ensemble, La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, YMF Debut Orchestra, MiraCosta Symphony, HEAR NOW Festival of New Music, the Industry, kallisti chamber opera, Musica Vitale, wild Up new music collective, Joe Garrison and the Night People, UCLA John Cage Symposium, UCSD’s Palimpsest, CalArts New Century Players Ensemble, and Chapman University’s New Music Ensemble, and has performed at venues including Walt Disney Concert Hall, REDCAT, Copley Symphony Hall, Aratani Japan America Theater, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Théâtre Le Palace in Perigueux, Autonomous University of Baja California, and the Moore Theater. She has given solo recitals on concert series’ hosted by Harvey Mudd College, Chapman University, and Tuesdays @ MONK Space, was a featured soloist in the LA Philharmonic’s installation, Nimbus, and has recorded for several interactive operatic experiences and film scores. Kirsten has also performed with Bang on a Can All-Stars, Accordant Commons, San Diego Symphony percussion, red fish blue fish, San Diego Pro Arte Voices, the Metroplex Opera Company in Dallas, and the Texas ‘Lone Star’ Ambassadors of Music.
Operatic roles include “La Princess” in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortileges (Perigueux, France), “Polly Peachum” in Weill’s Threepenny Opera (San Diego CA), and “Mabel” in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance (Fort Worth, TX).
A DMA candidate at UCSD under the guidance of GRAMMY award-winning soprano Susan Narucki, Kirsten holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts and a BM cum laude from Chapman University’s Conservatory of Music.