Kristi Matson

Biography

Kristi Matson is a lyric soprano who is equally at home in the worlds of classical and musical theatre. Kristi joined the voice faculty of Hillsdale College in 2012, where she teaches individual voice lessons, as well as class voice. She was a member of the voice faculty of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio from 1998-2001, where she held the position of Voice Coordinator, teaching individual lessons as well as the opera workshop class. Kristi received her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Otterbein University in 1995, studying with Jocelyn McDonald Fisher, and her Master of Music from The Cleveland Institute of Music in 1997, studying with Beverley Rinaldi. Other notable musical mentors with whom she has worked are voice teacher Jim Mismas, vocal coach Linda Jones, opera director Gary Race, composer Terry Vosbein and conductors William Boggs and David DeVenney. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, she appeared in the Opera Columbus productions of La Traviata, Die Fledermaus, Madama Butterfly and Der Fliegende Holländer. Favorite roles include Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Valencienne in The Merry Widow and Luisa in The Fantasticks. She has performed with Cleveland Opera on Tour, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Canton Symphony Orchestra, and the Welsh Hills Symphony Orchestra.

Kristi was a finalist in the Opera Columbus Vocal Competition and has sung in master classes for soprano Elly Ameling and pianist Warren Jones. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She and her husband, pianist Brad Blackham, comprise Duo Azalea, and have performed recitals at Hillsdale College, Kenyon College and Washington and Lee University. Kristi collaborated with her husband and Hillsdale College colleagues Stacey Jones and Andrew Sprung in March 2017, premiering new music for the annual meeting of the Southeastern Composers League at Washington and Lee University.