Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Bilodeau.
Hi Kristin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Music and performing have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. As the story goes, I asked my mom for my own bag when I was two years old and she bought me my very first dance bag. The performance spark was lit.
I grew up in the very small town of Milan, OH (the birthplace of Thomas Edison). My parents fostered my love of performing and knew I needed to have exposure to life outside of Milan to achieve my dreams. My afterschool routine became traveling everywhere (most notably Oberlin, OH) to hone in on my crafts. I trained with top professionals in dance, flute, theater, and voice. Once I entered high school, I knew performing was going to become my career, I just didn’t know what path I was going to take. I knew my singing voice was changing and was different than my peers at school. I saw my first opera and everything clicked: I was meant to be an opera singer.
I obtained my Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance at Baldwin Wallace University where fate put the biggest gift in front of me: I met my teacher and life mentor, Jane Eaglen. Jane is one of the world’s most renowned Wagnerian sopranos (and most amazing human beings), who just so happened to be teaching at BW while I was there. From BW, I followed her to Boston to the New England Conservatory of Music where I earned my Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. After graduating, I became the first alumnus ever to become a professor in the opera department. For two years, I taught opera workshop and movement for singers in the undergraduate opera program.
Boston became home to me for the better part of a decade. In Boston, I fully began my professional freelance opera career. I performed with local companies in leading and chorus roles, as well as traveling the country to sing. I met my husband in Boston, survived blizzards and a worldwide pandemic in Boston, and after 2022 I knew there was more to be discovered.
That new city was Austin. Austin feels different than anywhere I have ever lived. The community is vibrant, and welcomed me with open arms. Upon first moving here, I was lucky that there was an opening for the Soprano Choral Scholar at University Baptist Church. The UBC music community has become one of my most cherished experiences here in Austin. Over my first couple years in Austin I dove headfirst into the opera scene performing a lot of new works as well as the classics. I was a 2025 semi finalist for the Butler Opera International Competition. I’ve been fortunate enough to embody leading roles with One Ounce Opera, LOLA, and Gilbert & Sullivan Austin (where I was nominated for an Austin Theatre Critic’s Award for best actress).
My biggest musical breakthrough has been with Austin Opera. I was an inaugural young artist in their brand new Resident Stars program. This program is designed to showcase and mentor young opera artists in Austin. Through their program I have coached with Music Director Maestro Timothy Myers, performed and covered in main stage productions, represented AO at community and donor events, as well as been featured in a yearly opera showcase. This past month, I had the absolute pleasure of debuting a leading role in Austin Opera’s first ever world premiere commission of Ofrenda by Jorge Sosa and John de los Santos. This sold out, 7 show run, opened the brand new Butler Performance Center which will now serve as a cultural performance hub here in Austin.
My opera career is just a the threshold of wonderful experiences to come, and Austin has been a huge catalyst for that.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Choosing a career in opera is never a smooth road. There are a lot of barriers to entry in this field, some within your control, and many outside of your control. The number one challenge is knowing through every rejection you are still an artist with a unique voice. As a lyric soprano with a larger voice, I have had countless opinions about when and what I should sing. For every win you see, I have tallied up a list of losses. But, overtime, I have learned that every “loss” has been a redirection to set me on my right path.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a lyric soprano. I specialize in opera and classical singing. I have been in classical voice training since I was a teenager. In this style of technique you must learn how to healthily harness your natural voice as well as train your musicality through theory. As an opera singer, I have trained to be proficient in singing and understanding multiple languages most notably Italian, French, and German. My years of dance and theater training have helped shape me into the performer I am today, as opera is truly the pinochle of theater! I am proud of myself for having the tenacity to pursue my passion even when this road gets very difficult. I like to believe I do so with kindness and authenticity and always stay true to who I am as a person, even after the long grueling hours of perfectionism that come with the craft.
How do you think about happiness?
My happiness can be summed up into the simple things in life. I love music and entertainment, of course, but I would be nowhere without my amazing family and friends. I love to sit and cuddle with my adorable puppy boy Benny, watching comical reality shows or reading a good book. I am obsessed with all things interior design and holiday design (I have a tree decorated for every season). If someone wants me to come over and decorate their Christmas tree, I will!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kristinbilodeau.com
- Instagram: kristinbilodeausoprano
