Kristin Roach

A native of San Antonio, Kristin Roach is in demand across the nation as a conductor, pianist, and vocal coach. She is Music Director of Spotlight on Opera, Lecturer in Opera at Texas State University, and conductor at Vocal Academy of Orvieto.

Upcoming conducting engagements for Kristin include Così fan tutte, The Consul, and Aida at Spotlight on Opera, Dido and Aeneas and La Curandera at Texas State University, and Carmen and Le Nozze di Figaro with Texas Concert Opera Collective.

From 2012-2019, Kristin was the founding Music Director of Alamo City Opera, where she conducted seventeen productions of operas mostly new to South Texas. Creating an atmosphere of intimate opera, Alamo City Opera boasted an average audience age under 35, many of whom were first-time opera-goers. From Dido and Aeneas or Acis and Galatea, to Cenerentola or the Star Trek version of Mozart’s Abduction, to Trouble in Tahiti and The Medium, to Laura Kaminsky’s As One, Alamo City’s diverse repertoire and energetic productions drew hundreds. Recognizing the area’s wealth of Spanish speaking residents, Alamo City also presented San Antonio’s first full-length opera in Spanish, La hija de Rappaccini by Mexican composer Daniel Catan; this was followed by rave reviews for Piazzolla’s “operita” Maria de Buenos Aires. ACO also developed signature collaborations which featured Kristin at the piano, including Opera vs Broadway I, II, and III (featuring a wealth of local opera and musical theater talent), Opera in the Park (a free concert series in beautiful Travis Park), and songs by Dvorak and Brahms in collaboration with Alamo Arts Ballet Theater.

An advocate for newly composed operas, she has conducted or assisted with more than twenty premiers including Henry Mollicone’s Ladybird: First Lady of the Land and Children of the Sun, Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight!, Joseph Julian Gonzales’ Fundaciones de Bexar, James Ballentine’s Navarro, Leo Chadburn’s Gold Space City of God, and Myron Fink’s Conquistador. Additional conducting credits include Don Giovanni, The Turn of the Screw, A Little Night Music, As One, La Boheme, The Pirates of Penzance, Maria de Buenos Aires, La Cenerentola, La Hija de Rappaccini, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Acis and Galatea, La Boheme, Cosi fan tutte, Die Zauberflöte, Don Pasquale, The Medium, Bastien und Bastienne/La Curandera, The Italian Lesson/Trouble in Tahiti, Dido and Aeneas , Gianni Schicchi/Buoso’s Ghost, Bon Appetit/Gallantry, Prince Orlovsky’s Ball, and Liszt’s Christus. She has prepared productions for the San Francisco Opera, San Diego Opera, Tulsa Opera, Utah Opera, San Antonio Opera, San Antonio Symphony, Brevard Music Institute, Aspen Music Festival, Breckenridge Music Institute, Taos Opera Institute, Opera Theatre of Rochester, Eastman Opera Theater, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Spotlight on Opera, and Texas Concert Opera Collective.

Reviews of Kristin’s piano performances with South Texas musicians include phrases like “revelatory” and “infectious high-spirits”.  She has appeared as soloist with the San Antonio Symphony, Mid-Texas Symphony, San Antonio Wind Symphony, and Eastman Philharmonia, and as chamber musician with Camerata San Antonio, Chamber Music Amarillo, Olmos Ensemble, Musical Offerings, and Cactus Pear Music Festival.  She has toured Europe with the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, performing on the historic organs of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Church of the Madeleine, Ely Cathedral, Bristol Cathedral and York University.  Her recordings include the Trinity Jazz Project, a self-produced collection of her original arrangements of hymn tunes, and classical works with the New World Symphony for Decca Records and with the Eastman Wind Ensemble for Sony Classical Records.  Her newest recording, released in April 2018, features her collaboration with violinist Daniel Kobialka. Her recording of chamber works by Miguel del Aguila with Camerata San Antonio, Salon Buenos Aires, was nominated for two Latin Grammy® awards.

Ms. Roach maintains a private coaching studio, whose members include performers with numerous opera companies and apprentice programs, university faculty and students, chamber music groups, and church musicians.  She received her education at the Eastman School of Music, earning a Bachelor of Music in Applied Music (Piano), the Performer’s Certificate in Piano, and a Master of Music in Piano Performance/Literature and Piano Accompanying/Chamber Music.