Dr. Kirsten Ann Blair, soprano, enjoys a vibrant musical lifestyle as a singer and educator. Dr. Blair is a versatile performer, having recently participated in opera, classical, and contemporary performances on both national and international stages in Africa, Mexico, Europe, and the United States. Dr. Blair has shared the orchestral stage with ensembles such as the Orquestra de Cámara de Zapopan (Guadalajara), Uplands Festival Orchestra (South Africa), Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra (Alaska, USA), American Institute of Musical Studies: Graz Festival Orchestra, Northern Lights String Orchestra (Alaska, USA), Arizona State University Orchestra (USA), Phoenix Symphony Orchestra (Arizona, USA), Varna International Muzika! Academy Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Gregory Buchalter of the Metropolitan Opera, and most recently with the Chamber Orchestra of Kona (Hawai’i). Selected roles on the operatic stage include Micaëla (Bizet’s “Carmen”), Rose (Weill’s “Street Scene”), Lucy (Menotti's “The Telephone”), and Roxy LaRue in the World Premiere of “The Color of Gold.”
An avid recitalist, she has performed at Arizona State University, the Eastman School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, Iowa University, James Madison University, Loyola University, West Virginia University, Lisbon (Portugal), Athens (Greece), East London, White River and Nelspruit (South Africa), Harare (Zimbabwe), and in her home states of Maine and Alaska. She has been a featured soloist with the Arizona Women’s Collaborative, University of Alaska Fairbanks New Music Festival, Collaborative Piano Institute (University of Michigan), Hawai’i International Music Festival, Vianden Festival (Luxembourg), and two consecutive sessions in Zimbabwe for Music Inspire Africa. Recently, she sang with the Fairbanks Ragtime Club, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Jazz Combo, Blue & Gold Alumni Celebration rock/pop cover band, and Golden Heart Performing Arts’ circus artists as a singing aerialist.
Dr. Blair earned Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Voice Performance at the University of Alaska Fairbanks under the tutelage of Dr. Jaunelle Celaire. After completing her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in Bali, Indonesia, she returned to campus to earn a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree in Applied Voice under the artistry of Dr. Stephanie Weiss. Dr. Blair was a recipient of Arizona State University’s Graduate and Professional Student Association Teaching Excellence Award in 2020 and was selected for the prestigious National Association of Teachers of Singing 2024 Internship Program. A passionate teacher, Dr. Blair maintains a diverse private studio inclusive of a wide range of singing styles and appreciates working with singers in group environments. She is a sought after adjudicator for Regional Solo & Ensemble and National Association of Teaching of Singing competitions in both Classical and Musical Theatre categories, and was the 2024 Nelspruit Eisteddfod Vocal Division adjudicator in South Africa. Dr. Blair previously served the University of Alaska Fairbanks Music Department as an Instructor (Private and Class Voice, Ear-Training, and Music Appreciation), as well as her Fairbanks community as Board Vice-President of Fairbanks Light Opera Theatre, Director of the Great Land Sounds Barbershop Chorus, Vice-President of the NATS Alaska Chapter, and Artistic Director of the 2025 Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Opera & Musical Theatre Program. Dr. Blair is currently a voice instructor at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz and James Madison University in Virginia.
