+++
date = "2015-04-07T22:56:00-04:00"
discipline = "Mezzo-soprano"
lastmod = "2015-09-04T14:54:00-04:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1551579631/media/2019/03/KristineDandavino.jpg"
publishDate = "2015-04-07T22:56:00-04:00"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/oshawa-opera.md"]
slug = "kristine-dandavino"
title = "Kristine Dandavino"
website = "http://www.kristinedandavino.com/"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Facebook"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://www.facebook.com/kristinedandavinomezzosoprano"

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With her "strong chest register" and "wonderful high notes" Kristine Dandavino brings "extraordinary passion" to her portrayals across the mezzo-soprano repertoire of Verdi and Wagner. "Rarely does an audience get to see and hear a performer who can match her singing with acting skills like she does. " says Sybille Forster-Rentmeister of Dandavino's "brilliantly sung" Azucena. For her Ortrud in _Lohengrin_, Ms. Dandavino was praised for having a "phenomenal voice" and "injecting her performance with the full dramatic flair of her malevolent, vindictive character".

Ms. Dandavino also possesses the "restrained subtlety" required for her "thrilling... generous voice" to navigate the bel canto repertoire. Other performances for the 2014-2015 season include La Frugola in _Il Tabarro_ with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony, Marguerite in _La Damnation de Faust_ with Opera Tunities Ottawa, a solo recital with the Off-Concert Series JMC, and appearances with the Etobicoke Philharmonic, and Opera By Request as the also soloist in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and _Das Lied von der Erde_, respectively.

In the 2013 -2013 season, she thrilled audiences with her "startlingly powerful" Azucena with Opera York and "vivid portrayal" of Chimène in Toronto Opera Collaborative's concert version of the rarely heard Massenet masterpiece _Le Cid_. 

Other career highlights include Ortrud in _Lohengrin_ and Santuzza in _Cavalleria rusticana_ with Toronto's Opera by Request, Leonore in _Fidelio_ with Toronto Opera Collaborative, where she stepped into the role on short notice and was praised for her "star power" and "wide range of emotions", Madame Flora in _The Medium_ with Festival Orford, and Magda Sorel in _The Consul_ with Tryptych Opera. Ms. Dandavino has also appeared as a soloist in works such as the Beethoven Ninth Symphony, _Elijah_, and the Bach _Magnificat_ with a variety of organizations such as the Ontario Philharmonic Orchestra and the Durham Philharmonic Choir. Additionally, her voice is featured in Lois Alba's book/CD _Vocal Rescue: Rediscover the Beauty, Power and Freedom in Your Singing_.  

She is the founder and director of Opera Oshawa, as well as a graduate of the University of Ottawa and a student of Susan Eichhorn Young. She resides in Oshawa with her husband, David Lee, and their daughter Zoe.