Kristīne Opolais

A 7:30 am phone call on 5 April 2014 interrupted Kristīne Opolais’s sleep, requiring her to replace an ill soprano for a matinee performance of Puccini’s La bohème at the Metropolitan Opera. Despite having performed the title role in Madama Butterfly the previous evening, she arrived at the New York theater to fulfill the broadcast engagement on short notice.

Early Career and Training

Born in 1979 in Rēzekne, Latvia, Opolais pursued her formal musical education at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. Her professional trajectory began in 2001 when she joined the chorus of the Latvian National Opera. By 2003, she transitioned to the role of a soloist within the same company.

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International Expansion

Wider recognition arrived in 2006 following a debut at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. She subsequently expanded her reach to major European venues, appearing at La Scala in Milan and the Vienna State Opera in 2008. In October 2010, she performed the title role in a new production of Dvořák’s Rusalka at the Bavarian State Opera, directed by Martin Kušej. Her London debut occurred in 2011 at the Royal Opera in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. In 2013, she performed arias by Verdi and Tchaikovsky at The Proms, accompanied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Metropolitan Opera Highlights

Beyond her notable 2014 emergency substitution, Opolais maintained a consistent presence at the Metropolitan Opera. She participated in the 2014/15 season production of La bohème and took the lead in the house's 2017 production of Rusalka. Additionally, she performed the title role in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at the Metropolitan Opera in February and March 2016, a role she had previously performed at Covent Garden during the 2013/14 season.