Biography

Acclaimed for her versatility, musicianship and acting ability, Erina Newkirk’s operatic and concert repertoire embraces works from the Baroque Period to premiering Contemporary Operas and Song Cycles. She has sung with opera companies, festivals and symphonies throughout the United States and Europe. Erina has performed leading roles and as concert soloist at the John F. Kennedy Center, Opera North, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Lancaster Festival, Marin Symphony, Long Leaf Opera Festival, New York Opera Studio, Ottocento Festival Saludecio, American Philharmonic, Chicago Jazz Festival, Opera San Jose, Townsend Opera, Island City Opera, Livermore Valley Opera, Delaware Valley Opera, Baroque Orchestra Festival, Montefeltro Music Festival, Old First Concerts, Marin Oratorio, San Francisco Opera Guild, Opera Project Columbus, Il Teatro Sociale di Novafeltria, Villa Sinfonia, Sonic Harvest, Golden Gate Opera, Pocket Opera, Lamplighters Music Theatre, Cinnabar Opera, West Marin Music Festival, Berkeley Opera, and Oakland Opera.

Ms. Newkirk recently performed at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC as soprano soloist with The Art Ensemble of Chicago, recorded an aria and excerpts for Laurence Rosenthal’s opera, Gilgamesh, performed Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffman for Pocket Opera of San Francisco and was soprano soloist for The Art Ensemble of Chicago at the 41st Annual Chicago Jazz Festival.

Upcoming engagements include soprano soloist at Son’s d’Hiver in Paris, France for The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Thirza cover in The Wreckers for Island City Opera and soprano soloist at the Bang On A Can Contemporary Music Festival in New York City for The Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Having a special affinity for French music, Erina worked intensively with internationally acclaimed tenor and expert in French Style, Michele Sénéchal in Lanquais, France. While there, she performed French operatic repertoire for the L’Art du Chant Français Concerts at the Château de Lanquais.

Erina’s career has consistently involved premiering and recording new works. Recent performances and premieres of new works include the US premiere of Roscoe Mitchell’s orchestral work, Hymn to Beauty, Roscoe Mitchell’s art song, This (poem by E.E. Cummings), Laurence Rosenthal’s Orchestral Song Cycle, Songs to the Beloved, The Coroner in Ann Callaway’s opera, The Spirit of the Moth, Nonnie in Chandler Carter’s opera, Strange Fruit and Sonora in Ann Callaway’s opera, Vladimer in Butterfly Country. Recent recordings of new works include Shamhat in Laurence Rosenthal’s Gilgamesh, Charmaine in Matthew Owens’ City of Saint Francis, and Sonora in Ann Callaway’s, The Spirit of the Moth.

Scholarships Ms. Newkirk has been awarded include the Marin Symphony Scholarship, the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation Scholarship for Exceptional Artists, the New York Opera Studio Scholarship, the Italian Cultural Institute for Study Abroad Scholarship, the W.E.B. Dubois Fellowship for two consecutive years, Opera in The Ozarks Most Outstanding Colleague Award, and the Alice Pickett Franklin Scholarship Fund.

After receiving the Italian Cultural Institute for Study Abroad Scholarship, Erina lived in Italy for four months, where she coached intensively with former Rossini Opera Festival collaborator and Montefeltro Music Festival artistic director, Ubaldo Fabbri on Italian operatic repertoire. While there, she performed as soprano soloist in several concerts for the Montefeltro Music Festival and attended CLA Italy for Italian language study and Italian music study.

Awards Ms. Newkirk has received include First Place in The Marin Symphony Scholarship Competition, First Place in the Art Song Division of The National Association of Teachers and Singing, Third Place in Metropolitan Opera Competition – Pacific Region, Second Place in the Leontyne Price National Competition, National finalist for Orlando Opera’s Refuss Competition for Singing Actors, and Third Place in National Society of Arts and Letters.