Soprano Karin Wolverton has been described by Opera News as having “a lovely warm tone, easy agility and winning musicality.” She originated the challenging role of Anna Sørensen in the world premiere of Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize winning opera Silent Night with Minnesota Opera and reprised the role to much critical acclaim; “she outdoes herself seven years later, soaring on a romantic duet” -Pioneer Press and “was impressive as the dignified and fiercely protective Anna. Her warm tone and precision was just right in the a capella “Dona nobis pacem” that ends Act I” -Opera News In addition, the 2018-2019 season saw role debuts of Tatiana in Eugene Onegin with Opera Santa Barbara of which the Santa Barbara Independent wrote of Tatiana’s letter scene “Wolverton made every moment of it into mesmerizing bliss.” She made her role and company debut as the Foreign Princess in Rusalka with Madison Opera, of which Opera News wrote “Karin Wolverton delivered a terrific Foreign Princess with a big, refulgent soprano voice that dominated proceedings with her every utterance.” She also sang Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte in her debut with Mill City Summer Opera. As she continues to expand into the dramatic soprano repertoire her 2019-2020 season began with a return to Minnesota Opera as the Overseer in Elektra as well as covering the role of Chrysothemis. In concert she debuted the Verdi Requiem with Augustana College. During 2020 she particpated in several online musical content projects including joining with over 100 other singers to perform Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell’s ‘Light Shall Lift Us‘. 2021-22 saw her delve into more local venues with a concert of german lieder and arias for the Deutch Tage Festival hosted by The German American Institute in St. Paul, MN as well as a Christmas concert with Opera-Oriented Project Sponsorship in Minnesota. Her much anticipated return to the opera stage began with a company debut at Opera San Antonio reprising the role of Donna Elvira in their production of Don Giovanni. She also joined Opera Colorado to cover the demanding role of Wendy in The Shining by Paul Moravec.
Continuing her passionate involvement in new works, Ms. Wolverton recently returned to Arizona Opera for the world premiere of Bolmer’s Riders of the Purple Sage. Other recent engagements include a return to Minnesota Opera as Freia in Das Rheingold, the Jacksonville Symphony as the Mother in Hansel and Gretel, debuting with Opera Santa Barbara as Magda in La rondine, and a return to Angels & Demons Entertainment as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and the Minnesota Orchestra to cover the title role in Salome. In addition, she has sung Mimi in La bohème with Tulsa Opera, Fiordiligi in Utah Opera’s Così fan tutte, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Minnesota Orchestra, and made debuts with Arizona Opera as Micäela in Carmen, the South Dakota Symphony for another La bohème, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Angels & Demons Entertainment as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, and Austin Lyric Opera as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni.
Previous roles include Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Mimì in La bohème, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors and the soprano soloist in Dvořák’s Te Deum with the Minnesota Orchestra; Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Opera Omaha; and Mimì with Pensacola Opera. A favorite on Minnesota Opera’s main stage and a passionate exponent of its New Works Initiative, Ms. Wolverton regularly participates in workshops shepherding new opera. Other engagements in Minnesota include Musetta in La bohème, the Wood Nymph in Rusalka, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Antonia in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Ines in Donizetti’s rarely performed bel canto masterpiece Maria Padilla, Micaëla in Carmen, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto, Praskowia in The Merry Widow, Clotilde in Norma, Moira in the American premiere of Poul Ruders’ The Handmaid’s Tale, Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor and the Celestial Voice in Verdi’s Don Carlos. For the same company she has covered the demanding roles of Salome, Rusalka, and Sister Aloysius in Doubt, and sang Mimì for the hugely popular parks concert, Opera under the Stars. Having participated in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s critically acclaimed The Grapes of Wrath, she was invited to reprise her role at Utah Opera and Pittsburgh Opera. In recent years, Ms. Wolverton has also been seen as Micaëla in Carmen with Tulsa Opera, Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, Micaëla, and Antonia at Des Moines Metro Opera; the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Piedmont Opera; the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Fargo-Moorhead Opera, and Mimì with Teatro Nacional de Managua in Nicaragua and the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra.
On the concert stage, Ms. Wolverton made her Carnegie Hall debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3 and has appeared with the Orchestra Seattle and the Saint Cloud Symphony (Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915), Chippewa Valley Symphony (Mahler’s Symphony No. 2; the Phoenix Symphony and the Eugene Symphony (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9); the Discovery Ensemble (Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Five Images after Sappho); New Hampshire Music Festival (Poulenc’s Gloria); Wayzata Symphony Orchestra (Carmina burana); Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Musicians (Handel’s Messiah); the Great Falls Symphony; and the Dayton Philharmonic for its gala performance of “Viva Italia!”
