Katie Beth Van Kooten

Biography

Guest of the National Theatre Opera. A recent graduate of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden American soprano Katie Van Kooten, has been noted by The Daily Telegraph as “a major operatic talent. Her singing has something of the same glow radiated by Te Kanawa or Freni, and her endearing charm and bright smile make her a winning stage personality.” A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Ms. Van Kooten studies voice with Rudolf Piernay. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Biola University where she studied with Dr. Jeanne Robison and is a graduate and perpetual member of the Torrey Honors Institute. Ms. Van Kooten made her debut at the Royal Opera House in 2004 as Magda, and she has since gone on to perform Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Mimi in La Boheme, and Marguerite in Faust there. She recently made her Japanese debut singing Micaëla in Carmen under the direction of Seiji Ozawa and her United States debut performing Marguerite with the Metropolitan Opera in Central Park. Recently Ms. Van Kooten made her house debuts at the Metropolitan Opera in the acclaimed Nicolas Joël production of La Rondine as Magda and at Houston Grand Opera as Helena in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This season she also returned to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for performances of Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann opposite Rolando Villazón and led by Antonio Pappano. In concert, Katie Van Kooten has sung Mozart’s Requiem with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Vladimir Jurowski and Strauss’ Four Last Songs with the Halle Orchestra led by Edward Gardner. Update: March 2010