Blythe Gaissert has established herself as a fresh and exciting artist in great demand in the United States and abroad for opera, concert and recital engagements with “a voice that is pure, powerful, and appealing, with a stage presence to match.” (Denver Post) In the coming 2017-18 season, Ms. Gaissert will be creating the role of Walker Loats in Mikael Karlsson’s cutting edge one woman opera THE ECHO DRIFT at the Prototype Festival in NYC, reprising the role of Hannah After in AS ONE in her company debuts with San Diego Opera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, singing Hester Prynne in the Professional Premiere of THE SCARLET PROFESSOR at Amherst College, Sadie in the NY premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s MORNING STAR with On Site Opera, CAPTCHA by Robert Paterson with American Modern Ensemble at Carnegie’s Weill Hall, and finishing her season as Siegrune DIE WALKÜRE with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jaap van Zweden.
In the seasons 2015-2017 engagements included the role of Hannah After in Laura Kaminsky’s AS ONE for Opera Colorado and two world premiere operas, THE WHOLE TRUTH by Robert Paterson with American Modern Ensemble in NYC and FRAU SCHINDLER by Thomas Morse and Ken Kazan in a concert performance in Los Angeles. She also performed with American Modern Ensemble in their season finale concert ‘Voices of Thunder’ with music by David T. Little, Robert Beaser and Marta Ptaszynska.
In 2014-15 Ms. Gaissert participated in American Opera Projects’ series Composers and the Voice final concert, and performed the West Coast premiere of Laura Kaminsky’s AS ONE which she also covered in its world premiere at BAM. The season also included a week residency at UC Davis including a solo recital with pianist Eric Zivian and performances of Mahler Ruckert Lieder, new operas by Martin Hennessey and Alden Terry, and Beethoven 9th Symphony with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra.
Performances in 2013-14 included Ravel Trois Poemes de Stefan Mallarme and Copland American Songs with the Sarasota Orchestra and her role debut of Prince Orlofsky DIE FLEDERMAUS with Sarasota Opera. Ms. Gaissert returned to the Glacier Symphony in Montana to sing her first Das Lied von der Erde and also debuted with the Duluth Symphony in Verdi Requiem.
In 2012-13 Ms. Gaissert continued her relationship with the Metropolitan Opera covering Siegrune in Robert Lepage’s ground-breaking production of DIE WALKÜRE. She also created the role of Zellah in Matthew Harris’ opera THE MARK OF CAIN with Chelsea Opera, returned to the National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall for Beethoven 9th Symphony and made her debut with the Sarasota Orchestra singing Berio Folk Songs in their new music series conducted by Dirk Meyer. Ms. Gaissert also covered both the title-role of Mary and the role of Martha in the new Peter Sellars staging of John Adams’ dramatic oratorio THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE OTHER MARY with The Los Angeles Philharmonic both in the US and on tour to London, Paris and Lucerne.
In 2010-11 she made her debut with the Lyrique en Mer Festival in Belle-Ile, France as Maddalena RIGOLETTO, and returned to the Glacier Symphony to sing Elgar Sea Pictures. This was followed by her debut season with the Metropolitan Opera where she covered Second Secretary NIXON IN CHINA and Siegrune DIE WALKÜRE, her company debut with Des Moines Metro Opera as Mother Marie of the Incarnation in Poulenc’s DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES and her first appearance in Beethoven 9th Symphony with National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall.
Ms. Gaissert has performed The Israelite Man in Handel Judas Maccabeus with Los Angeles Opera under the baton of James Conlon, the title-role RAPE OF LUCRETIAwith the Aldeburgh Festival, the title-role CARMEN with Opera Southwest, as well as at the Aspen Music Festival under the baton of Julius Rudel and also in a semi-staged concert version for Lake George Opera, Mere Marie DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES (also with Maestro Conlon), Maddalena RIGOLETTO under the baton of Julius Rudel, (with the Aspen Opera Theatre Center) as well as with Sarasota Opera, Suzuki MADAMA BUTTERFLY with Opera Coeur D’Alene, Rose DINNER AND DELUSION with the Cell Theatre/Center for Contemporary Opera in NYC, Meadow Lake in the premiere of Dean Drummond’s microtonal chamber opera CAFE BUFFE, Smeton ANNA BOLENA with DellArte Opera Ensemble NYC, Lady Angela PATIENCE for Sorg Opera and Suzy LA RONDINE with Sarasota Opera.
Ms. Gaissert has also performed with the Cincinnati Opera and the Opera Teatro di Lucca. She has participated in many of the country’s major young artist programs such as the Merola Program at San Francisco Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Lake George Opera and Sarasota Opera.
Equally at home on the concert stage, Ms. Gaissert recently made her Carnegie Hall debut as the Alto soloist in Haydn Lord Nelson Mass and Mozart Solemn Vespers. She has also appeared in the American premiere of Gyorgy Ligeti Sippal, Dobbal, Nadihegiduvel, as well as the American premiere of Louis Andriessen Y Despues with the Aspen Music Festival. Other concert performances include Alto Soloist in Zemlinsky Psalm 83 with James Conlon and the Cincinnati Symphony as well as multiple performances of Beethoven 9th Symphony. In 2011 Ms. Gaissert was the 2nd Prize Winner of the New York Oratorio Society’s Solo Competition. In 2010, Ms. Gaissert was the first place winner in the National Opera Association Artist Awards, a National Semi-Finalist and Alternate to the Finals in the NATSAA competition and a Finalist in the Jensen Competition. In 2009 Ms. Gaissert was a finalist in the Giulio Gari Competition and was selected as one of the winners of the NYC round of the Mezzo TV competition which continued in Szeged, Hungary. In 2008 Ms. Gaissert was a Finalist in the Bel Canto Competition as well as Portland Opera’s Eleanor Lieber Competition.
Ms. Gaissert is also a member of the alt/classical/rock group The Knells, who will be releasing their second album in the Fall of 2017. A champion of new music, Ms. Gaissert has worked with numerous composers and librettists on dozens of new works, and has been a part of American Opera Projects’ Composers and the Voice series since 2014.
