Soprano
Recipient of the Mary Barker Evans Award
Not many people can join forces with a jazz trio, sing Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs, lead a hip-hop band in the streets of a Sidewalk Festival, and perform songs of their own composition. But Kisma Jordan can.
Characterized by The New York Times as a “shimmering soprano voice”, Kisma has proven to be a vocal powerhouse of great versatility. The Baltimore Sun praised excitedly, “Kisma Jordan steals the show, vocally…with her truly lovely soprano. She sounds wonderful in the house, the tone ripe and well-supported, the phrasing lively, the diction superb. I can’t prove any great powers of prognostication, but I sure do feel there’s a good chance we could all be hearing more from this singer in time.”
This season, Kisma brings Beyond Classical to Detroit Performs Live from Carr Center, then appears with Annapolis Opera in Angels & Demons a concert showcasing the many saints and sinners of the operatic repertoire. She presents recitals of lieder, arias, and spirituals as part of Music at St. Paul’s Flint Concert Series, then joins Black Women Rock 2016 in March.
The Detroit, Michigan native is a recipient of the 2014 Kresge Artist Fellowship funded by The Kresge Foundation consisting of a monetary prize and professional practice opportunities, which rewards metropolitan Detroit artists for their exceptional commitment to artistic achievement and strong contributions to their respective communities.
In the 2014-2015 seasons Kisma returned to the opera stage to cover the role of Clara with Lyric Opera of Chicago in Francesca Zambello’s production of the Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. She appeared with the Hilton Head Symphony as soloist for Mendelssohn & Verdi: Nightmares and Dreams, then debuted her highly anticipated project Beyond Classical during Art X Detroit: Kresge Arts Experience. She made her sixth solo appearance with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and concluded the summer with an appearance at Detroit’s Chene Park Amphitheater with electronic music legend Derrick May.
In previous seasons, Kisma enjoyed appearances with New Jersey Opera in performances of Pamina in Die Zauberflote, performances of Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress at Baltimore’s Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric, Nedda in performances of Pagliacci, and as Aurora in the North American premiere of Francesco Cavalli’s Gli Amore D’ Apollo e di Daphne. Sought after on the concert stage, Kisma has made solo appearances in works including Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s Symphony no. 2 with Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate with Lima Symphony Orchestra, and Strauss’ Vier Letze Lieder.
Most recently, Kisma captured 1st Prize in Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh’s Mildred Miller International Vocal Competition and 1st Prize in National Opera Association’s Carolyn Bailey and Dominick Argento Vocal Competition. Among other awards are the Harold Haugh Light Opera Vocal Competition (1st Prize), Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation (2nd Prize), Sylvia L. Green Voice Competition (1st Prize, Graduate Division), Baltimore Music Club Competition (1st Prize, Professional Voice), The Cleveland Foundation (A. Grace Lee Mims Vocal Scholarship Award), and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (National Semifinalist, 1st place Great Lakes Region).
www.kismajordan.com
Photo by Gwen Juarez
Senza mamma
from Puccini’s SUOR ANGELICA.
Kisma was accompanied by Maestro Teruhiko Toda.
HD Video provided by Robert Land Productions.
Depuis le jour
from Charpentier’s LOUISE.
Kisma was accompanied by Maestro Teruhiko Toda.
HD Video provided by Robert Land Productions.
Kisma Jordan & Richard Kummins