PROFILE

Now an exciting professional talent, Keri Rusthoi studies with the eminent Jean Kraft of the Metropolitan Opera (retired.) She received her operatic training from the Manhattan School of Music, earned a master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of New Mexico, and completed undergraduate work in Music at The Colorado College.

Ms. Rusthoi was most recently seen this summer performing Adina in The Elixir of Love and Lucy in Giancarlo Menotti’s The Telephone. She can be heard next in concert performances this Fall with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Santa Fe Spiritual Center’s concert series and as a guest at the Cuesta College (San Luis Obispo) performance class series.

In recent seasons, Ms. Rusthoi has appeared in a wide variety of vocal performances with credits in numerous operatic productions throughout the country, (Please see her current Operatic Roles List under the REPERTOIRE link at the top of this page,) appearances as a symphony soloist with several regional orchestras, (Please see her current Symphonic Repertoire List under the REPERTOIRE link at the top of this page) and frequent international performances of solo recital concerts for summer music festivals in Europe. (Please see her current Recital Program under the REPERTOIRE link at the top of this page.)

Born into a family of dedicated musicians, Keri Rusthoi began her musical instruction at age 7, studying both the piano and viola. A natural musician and performer, Ms. Rusthoi was also actively sought for young stage roles as a singer and actress throughout her childhood. An avid competitor and performer in both the vocal and instrumental scene, Ms. Rusthoi received numerous awards and certificates for her talents during her school years, prompting one adjudicator to proclaim, “I have never seen such an abundance of talent in someone her age.” Ms. Rusthoi continued to develop her musical abilities during her college career, choosing to focus solely on her vocal gifts. She was rewarded for her collegiate efforts by winning the 1991 Denver Lyric Opera Award and the 1992 Marie Clough Gillis Award for Excellence in Vocal Music.

Ms. Rusthoi is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Emerald City Opera. She passionately enjoys teaching in her private studio, and has regularly served as vocal faculty at the Perry-Mansfield School for the Performing Arts, Arts for the Soul and Colorado Mountain College. Ms. Rusthoi was the winner of the New Mexico Symphony Young Artist Competition and a finalist for the Fulbright Awards.