Throughout America and Europe, dramatic soprano Carol Kirkpatrick has thrilled audiences and critics alike. "One seemed to see and hear a singer instantly vested in a character and a dramatic moment." Indianapolis Star; "Ms. Kirkpatrick gave every phrase such a high point of believability that one forgets they are in the theatre." RAI Radio; "Blessed with a combination of vocal power, unfaltering tone, true artistry and fiercely believable dramatic instincts, she made her tortured character riveting scene after scene." Arizona Daily Star; "A major voice, one worth the whole evening." The New York Times; "An unusual and thrilling voice full of passion that has a silvery quality and shimmers especially on top." The Phoenix Gazette; "With this beautiful voice comes an enormous vocal strength with marrow shaking outbursts so completely from the whole inner being, that the last row of listeners in the theatre were held captive." Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; "There followed a spontaneous standing ovation with cries of 'Brava,' foot stamping and a rain of flowers onstage when Ms. Kirkpatrick came out for her solo bow." San Francisco Chronicle.
After graduating from the University of Arizona in Tucson, and winning first prize in the San Francisco Opera Auditions, Ms. Kirkpatrick was given a contract with the San Francisco Opera Company where she performed main stage roles and was also asked to become a member of the touring company, Western Opera Theatre. Becoming a Corbett Fellow brought her to Europe, where she performed leading roles in some of the most prestigious opera houses in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and England. In addition to operatic performing, Ms. Kirkpatrick has been a soloist with many major orchestras throughout the United States and Europe. She was Artist in Residence at the Aspen Musical Festival, where she taught voice and performed with the Festival Orchestra. Columbia Artists Community Concert Series sought out Ms. Kirkpatrick to present recitals throughout North America. Her brilliant singing, interesting programming, and rapport with the public brought her great critical acclaim. She has worked with a host of prestigious conductors, including James Levine, Herbert Grossman, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Georges Pretre, Horst Stein, and Christopher Keene.
During her career and since her retirement, Ms. Kirkpatrick has been called upon to adjudicate a variety of auditions including those for the Metropolitan Opera and the San Francisco Opera. She continues to be in demand for presenting her Master Classes which help singers successfully portray the character through the text and music giving them the tools to continue this work beyond their time together and confidence when auditioning. As a Certified Master Neuro-Linguistic Programming Trainer and author of ARIA READY: The Business of Singing, Carol also spends her time sharing her performance, business, and interpersonal skills through her seminars and Aria Ready Bootcamps, all of which benefit from her extensive experience and training. Ms. Kirkpatrick currently lives in Denver, Colorado where as a Master Voice Teacher, she has an established and active voice studio.
