Kelly Holst
Professor of Voice
Music
Music - Voice
Biography
Lyric coloratura soprano Kelly Holst is an active performer, voice technician, and voice pedagogue. Her operatic roles include Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberfl枚te, Olympia in Les Contes d鈥橦offmann, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni. On the concert stage she has performed Handel鈥檚 Messiah, Bach鈥檚 St. John Passion and Magnificat, Haydn鈥檚 Creation, Mozart鈥檚 Requiem, and Gli猫re鈥檚 Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra. Dr. Holst has appeared with the 野狼社区 Philharmonic, Canterbury Voices, Tactus Professional Ensemble, Michigan Opera Theatre, the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, Arbor Opera Theater, the Bloomington Early Music Festival, and the Amherst Early Music Festival. Kelly was an Encouragement Award winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Auditions. She was awarded third place (2008) and fourth place (2014) at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards national competition. In 2015, Dr. Holst was selected to participate in the National Association of Teachers of Singing teaching intern program, an organization she has served as Oklahoma District Governor, Oklahoma Chapter President, Secretary, and as a regular adjudicator for local, regional, and national student auditions.
Dr. Holst is passionate about bringing evidence-based practices into the voice studio to help students develop an efficient technique that will allow their artistry, storytelling, and individual gifts to soar. She has spent the past 20 years studying the art of singing, the anatomy and physiology of the voice, vocal health, and pedagogical methods for classical, pop, and musical theatre styles. Dr. Holst completed the Principles of Voice Production course under Dr. Ingo Titze at the Summer Vocology Institute, engaged in clinical observation with Speech Language Pathologists specializing in professional voice and gender affirming voice therapy and continues her pedagogical training through professional workshops and courses. She believes lifelong learning is essential for all educators and artists and that curiosity is the foundation for creativity, play, and discovery in the studio.
Dr. Holst joined the faculty of the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at 野狼社区 University in 2012 where she teaches voice and vocal pedagogy. Graduates from her studio can be found in national tours, regional productions, on cruise lines, in the recording studio, in graduate programs, and at Disney in the US and abroad. They have developed rewarding careers as performers, entrepreneurs, voice teachers, and arts administrators.
Dr. Holst is a proud graduate of Luther College (BA), Indiana University (MM), and the University of Michigan (DMA).
