+++
date = "2018-01-29T18:05:00-05:00"
discipline = "Soprano"
lastmod = "2018-01-29T18:05:00-05:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1666615470/media/2022/10/KarenSlack_r7be3y.jpg"
publishDate = "2018-01-29T18:05:00-05:00"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/scottish-opera.md", "scene/companies/vancouver-opera.md", "scene/companies/the-banff-centre.md", "scene/companies/opera-philadelphia.md", "scene/companies/edmonton-opera.md", "scene/companies/minnesota-opera.md", "scene/companies/arizona-opera.md", "scene/companies/lyric-opera-of-chicago.md", "scene/companies/the-metropolitan-opera.md", "scene/companies/san-francisco-opera.md", "scene/companies/washington-national-opera.md", "scene/companies/des-moines-metro-opera.md"]
slug = "karen-slack"
title = "Karen Slack"
website = "https://www.sopranokarenslack.com/"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Twitter"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://twitter.com/KikiSlack"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Youtube"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6deriQ3f8oJIIGrwMPm8zw"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Facebook"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://www.facebook.com/SopranoKarenSlack"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Instagram"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://www.instagram.com/kikislacksoprano/"

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Hailed for possessing a voice of extraordinary beauty, a seamless legato and great dramatic depth, American soprano Karen Slack has appeared with the **Metropolitan Opera** where she made her debut in the title role of Verdi’s _Luisa Miller_, **Lyric Opera of Chicago**, **Washington National Opera**, and **San Francisco Opera**. In recent seasons, she has appeared as Alice Ford in _Falstaff_, Leonora in _Il trovatore_ and Tosca with **Arizona Opera**, as Aïda at **_Austin Opera_**, Emelda Griffith in _Champion_ with **New Orleans Opera**, Donna Anna in _Don Giovanni_ with **Nashville Opera**, Violetta in _La Traviata_ with **Sacramento Opera** and Sister Rose in _Dead Man Walking_ with both **Minnesota Opera** and **Vancouver Opera** and her **Scottish Opera** debut as Anna in Puccini’s _Le villi_. Additionally, Ms. Slack portrayed a featured role as the Opera Diva in Tyler Perry’s movie and soundtrack “For Colored Girls.” Ms. Slack is an Artistic Advisor for **Portland Opera**, Co-Director for the 2020-21 **Opera Program at the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts**, and Co-Chair of the **Women's Opera Network** with **Opera America**.

Ms. Slack’s 2019-2020 season included a return to the **Metropolitan Opera** as Serena in _Porgy and Bess_, a recital with **Opera Philadelphia**, guest soloist for **Madison Opera**’s virtual _Opera in the Park_, and a series of recitals throughout the US including the **Vilar Center for the Performing Arts** in Vail, Colorado with pianist Joe Illick. This season sees her in digital performances with **Opera Philadelphia**, **Houston Grand Opera**, **Madison Opera**, and **Minnesota Opera**. Additionally, she stars in _Driving While Black_ with **UrbanArias**. In response to the rash of cancellations due to COVID19, Ms. Slack launched a digital talk show, **#KikiKonversations**, which has garnered critical acclaim and thousands of views.

Other recent performances include the title role in _Tosca_ with **Opera Birmingham**, Addie Parker in _Yardbird_ with **Arizona Opera**, Sister Rose in _Dead Man Walking_ with **Atlanta Opera**, Serena in _Porgy and Bess_ with **Fort Worth Opera**, and her debut with **Opera Theatre of St. Louis** as Billie in Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons' _Fire Shut Up in My Bones_. In concert, she was a soloist with the **Philadelphia Orchestra** in the world premiere of Hannibal Lokumbe’s _Healing Tones_ with Music Director **Yannick Nézet-Séguin** and the **Union Symphony Orchestra** for Wagner’s _Wesendonck Lieder_.

Equally at home on the concert stage, Ms. Slack has performed Beethoven’s _9th Symphony_, Mahler’s _2nd Symphony_ and the Verdi _Requiem_ with various orchestras throughout the US. Abroad she has appeared with the **Melbourne Symphony**, **Sydney Symphony**, the **Bergen Philharmonic Orchestras**, and most recently, with the **St. Petersburg Philharmonic** in celebration of the 80th birthday of Mo. Yuri Temirkanov. She made her **Carnegie Hall** debut as Agnes Sorel in Tchaikovsky’s _Maid of Orleans_ with the **Orchestra of St. Lukes** and will return in Spring 2022 with the **Orpheus Chamber Orchestra** for Beethoven’s _Egmont_. Additional upcoming engagements for the 2021-2022 season include her stage debut with the **Houston Grand Opera** in the world premiere of Joel Thompson and Andrea Davis Pinkney's _A Snowy Day_, a recital with pianist Alan Morrison at Atlanta’s **Spivey Hall** including the World Premiere of a new work by American composer Adolphus Halistork, Verdi’s _Requiem_ with the **Highlander Concert Series** at the **Meyerson Symphony Center** in Dallas and a concert of arias with **Omaha Symphony** in collaboration with **Opera Omaha**.

A graduate of the **Adler Fellowship** and **Merola Opera Program** at the **San Francisco Opera**, the native Philadelphian is also a graduate of the prestigious **Curtis Institute of Music**. She is a winner of numerous competitions and awards: most notably the **Montserrat Caballe International Competition**, the **Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions**, the **George London Foundation Award**, the **Marian Anderson ICON Award**, the **Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation**, the **Rosa Ponselle International Vocal Competition**, the **Portland Opera Lieber Award**, the **Liederkranz Foundation Award** and the **Jose Iturbi International Competition for Voice.**