PROFILE

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 fro Excellence in Vocal Music.

Now an emerging and exciting professional talent, Keri Rusthoi has 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. She currently studies with the eminent Jean Kraft of the Metropolitan Opera (retired.)

Keri Rusthoi was most recently seen performing as a Soprano soloist in the All-Community collaboration for The Messiah, and in the role of Kate Pinkerton in the summer production of Madama Butterfly with Emerald City Opera. In previous seasons she has been seen in the role of Aloysia Weber Lange in the original production “Letters for Mozart” commissioned and produced by Emerald City Opera, as Valencienne in “The Merry Widow” and as Musetta in “La Bohème. She has appeared in concert with the nationally-renowned summer music festival Strings in the Mountains, with the Beaux Arts Festival Symphony Orchestra, as Anna at the historic Tarrytown Music Hall in the production “Reminiscence” and has performed Nanetta in “Falstaff” with Opera Southwest. She will perform the role of Flora Bervoix in Emerald City Opera’s 2008 production of “La Traviata”.

In recent seasons, Ms. Rusthoi has also appeared as opera soloist with the Albuquerque Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of David Felberg, as well as on stage with the Emerald City Opera, performing the role of Papagena in “The Magic Flute”. She toured Europe with Opera New York’s production “The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber”, performing the role of Christine from “The Phantom of the Opera” as well as others. Additional appearances include Despina in “Così Fan Tutte” with the Ost-West Internationale Musikakademie, as Lucilla in “La Scala di Seta” with L’Accademia Italiana di Canto, and as Annina in “La Traviata”, Miss Todd in “The Old Maid and the Thief”, and Kjersti in “Giants in the Earth” with the University of New Mexico Opera Theater. Ms. Rusthoi has covered the role of Giulia in “La Scala di Seta” with L’Accademia Italiana di Canto, and performed countless scenes and selections from “Die Zauberflöte” in the roles of Pamina, Königin der Nacht, and Papagena for The Santa Fe Opera’s Education and Outreach program, for The University of New Mexico Opera Theater, and the Ost-West Internationale Musikakademie. Ms. Rusthoi was also featured in the lead role, Alcina for the Baroque Aria Ensemble’s staging of “Alcina” while attending the Manhattan School of Music.

Enjoying a growing concert and oratorio performance schedule, Ms. Rusthoi has performed as soloist in Bach’s “Magnificat” and “The Coffee Cantata” with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Brahms’ “Ein Deutches Requiem” and Schubert’s “Mass in G Major” with the Steamboat Springs Chamber Orchestra & Choir, Faure’s “Requiem” and Mozart’s “Laudate Dominum” with the St. Paul Lutheran Orchestra & Choir, as well as Handel’s “Messiah”, “Judas Maccabaeus”, Bach’s “Magnificat”, and Haydn’s “Missa in Tempore Belli” with The Colorado College Choir & Orchestra.

Ms. Rusthoi is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Emerald City Opera. She teaches privately, and has regularly served as vocal faculty at the Perry-Mansfield School for the Performing Arts, Arts for the Soul and Colorado Mountain College. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Denver Lyric Opera Award and the Marie Clough Gillis Award for Excellence in Vocal Music. She has been a finalist for the Fulbright Awards and the winner of the New Mexico Symphony Young Artist Competition.