Kellie J. Van Horn
Mezzo-soprano

John Moriarity Encouragement Award, 2002

review

Mezzo-soprano Kellie Van Horn has sung with regional companies throughout the United States, including Sarasota Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Opera Colorado, and Boston Midsummer Opera. Highlights among her operatic performances have included Charlotte (Werther) and Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) in Sarasota, the title role in Carmen with Commonwealth Opera (Northampton, MA), Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) in Des Moines, and Anne Lindbergh in the world premiere of Loss of Eden (Cary John Franklin) in St. Louis. Ms. Van Horn also sang the role of Dido to great critical acclaim in a semi-staged concert performance of Dido and Aeneus for the Miami-based chamber choir Seraphic Fire.  She has made numerous concert appearances, most notably with the Hartford Symphony in Handel’s Messiah and the Mozart Mass in C Minor as well as an opera gala with Baltimore Concert Opera. Elsewhere on the concert stage, Kellie has an affinity for operetta and cross-over repertoire, having appeared with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano as the title role in La Périchole, Lois Lane in Kiss Me, Kate, and the Old Lady in Candide.

In more recent years Ms. Van Horn has happily taken a step back from the professional singing world in order to support the career of her husband, bass-baritone Christian Van Horn. She continues to maintain a working relationship, however, with Massachusetts-based composer Joseph Summer, for whom she has sung the premieres of more than ten new works. Last spring marked Kellie’s sixth annual performance in Summer’s series entitled The Shakespeare Concerts, presented in Boston’s Jordan Hall. She has previously been featured on two recordings of his music: Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day and So Many Journeys, both produced by Albany Records. A third recording collaboration will be released later this year.

Kellie received the Bachelor of Music from Shorter College and the Master of Music degree in Voice/Opera at Yale University. She spent two summers during her graduate studies as an apprentice artist with the Santa Fe Opera, appearing on the main stage as Cefisa in Rossini’s Ermione and the 3rd Maid in Strauss’ Elektra. As a Shorter student Ms. Van Horn also supplemented her training spending a summer with faculty members of the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. She was a national MTNA winner and second prize winner in the Southeast Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions.  Kellie is a native of Augusta, Georgia.

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