Sunday, December 7, 2014 — 4:00 p.m.
Second Presbyterian Church, 600 Pleasant Valley Dr., Little Rock, AR
International opera sensation Kristin Lewis comes home to Little Rock for this exclusive engagement. Ms. Lewis and the Second Presbyterian Church Adult Choir will perform a special Advent celebration concert to support her new vocal foundation scholarship. Featured guest performers include mezzo-soprano and UCA voice professor Martha Antolik, along with violinist Rachel Herman, pianist Tom Cox, and Barry McVinney on saxophone. Praeclara’s artistic director, Bevan Keating, conducts the choir and orchestra.
The program showcases some of the world’s best-loved songs of the season, including
- The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
- Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
- Ave Maria
- Gesu Bambino
- I Wonder as I Wander
- Panis Angelicus
- O Holy Night
- Joy to the World
All proceeds from the concert benefit the Kristin Lewis Foundation Scholarship Fund.
The Kristin Lewis Foundation Scholarship Fund supports emerging Arkansas vocalists in their professional development, providing funds for tuition costs, attendance at master classes, and national or international travel. Students between the ages of 18 and 23 are invited to apply. Applications are being accepted through early February 2015. For details about the scholarship application process, visit the Kristin Lewis Foundation website.
Kristin Lewis, a lyrico-spinto soprano lauded for her interpretations of Verdi heroines, is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. Formerly a section leader in the choir at Second Presbyterian Church of Little Rock, Ms. Lewis began her vocal studies at the University of Central Arkansas under the guidance of Dr. Martha Antolik. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree, she continued with her Master of Music studies at the University of Tennessee with Ms. Kay Paschal and Mr. Andrew Wentzel. Her postgraduate instruction was led by Dr. Jonathan Retzlaff until her move to Vienna, Austria, where she currently resides. She is now under the tutelage of Ms. Carol Byers.
In 2012, Ms. Lewis was awarded the Orazio Tosi Prize, given by the Club Lirica Parma at the birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi. Ms. Lewis was named the 2010 Artist of the Year by the Savonlinna Opera Festival. She was also voted a 2010 recipient of the coveted “Oscars of the Opera” by the Foundation of Verona for the Arena. She is a two-time National Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition.
Offstage, Ms. Lewis is active in humanitarian work. She was recently named an Ambassador for the Red Cross in Vienna, Austria. She is also a supporter of Animal Care Austria, an animal rescue agency based in Vienna.
To read more about her many roles and accomplishments, please visit Kristin Lewis’s official website.