Mit Bedauern hörten wir vom Tod der amerikanischen Sängerin Kristine Jepson, die mit nur 54 Jahren ihrem Krebsleiden am 21. April 2017 in New York erlag. Als „Werther“-Charlotte in Frankfurt und in anderen Rollen an anderen deutschen Häusern wie Hamburg ist sie auch bei uns eine namhafte Mezzosopranistin gewesen. Im Folgenden eine Biographie. G. H. 

 

Kristine Jepson was born in Iowa and completed her musical studies at the University of Indiana at Bloomington.  Her performances as the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos in Boston and as Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito with the St. Louis Opera established her as an important new artist and this was developed further when she appeared as Dorabella in Cosi Fan Tutte in Miami, as Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible in Washington, as Judith in the Vancouver Opera’s production of Bluebeard’s Castle, as Annio in La clemenza di Tito in Dallas and Santiago, and as Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the New York City Opera.  The 2000/2001 season was a pivotal one in the artist’s career as she then made several significant debuts: she bowed in Paris at the Bastille Opera in Faust, and at the San Francisco Opera as Sister Helen in the world premiere production of Jake Heggies‘ Dead Man Walking.

Jepson made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Britten’s Death in Venice and has since returned to the company for many roles; first as Stephano in Romeo et Juliette and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro (a role which she also has sung in Washington and Dallas), Idamante in Idomeneo, and subsequently for her first performances of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, and as the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos.  In recent seasons she starred in two new productions at the Metropolitan Opera under James Levine appearing as Ascanio in the Metropolitan’s new production of Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini and Siebel in a new production of Faust.  She debuted in Amsterdam in concert as Erika in Radio Vara’s concert performance of Barber’s Vanessa opposite Carol Vaness.  She then made her stage debut in Amsterdam as Cecilio in Mozart’s Lucio Silla.  In the autumn of 2004 she bowed at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden as Dorabella.

Jepson has been a frequent guest in Santa Fe where she has been heard as the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos, as Sesto in 2003 and as Nero in Handel’s Agrippina in 2004.  She has also been heard as Sister Helen in Dead Man Walking for the Pittsburgh Opera and Michigan Opera Theatre and as Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte for Opera Pacific.  She sang her first Adalgisa in  Norma for Cincinnati Opera, and also returned that year to Paris as Niklausse in Les Contes D’Hoffmann.  In the summer of 2005 Jepson debuted at the Aix en Provence as Sesto, and sang first performances of Charlotte in Werther in a new production for her debut at the Frankfurt Opera.  InFebruary of 2006 she debuted at the Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona as Idamante in Idomeneo followed by her debut at the Semper Oper in Dresden in the European premiere of Dead Man Walking.  She returned to the Teatro alla Scala in Ariadne auf Naxos, as well as to the Semperoper Dresden for both Ariadne and Der Rosenkavalier and subsequently made her debut with the Seattle Opera in her first performances of Sesto in Giulio Cesare.

Kristine Jepson has appeared in leading theaters internationally including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Theatre Royale de la Monnaie, Opera National de Paris, Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Bavarian State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Flemish Opera, San Francisco Opera. Canadian Opera Company, Santa Fe Opera and many others.  Jepson has won special acclaim for roles such as Sesto in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, the Composer in Strauss’sAriadne auf Naxos and, Sister Helen in Dead Man Walking.  In December of 2000 Jepson sang her first performances as Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier at the Metropolitan Opera and was praised highly for her interpretation of this cornerstone of the mezzo repertoire.  She has since made her debuts at the Teatro alla Scala, Theatre de La Monnaie in Brussels, the Hamburg State Opera and Bavarian State Opera in Munich all as Octavian.

Kristine Jepson began the 2008/2009 season as Mere Marie in Dialogues des Carmelites in Oviedo before returning to Covent Garden as Nicklausse in Les Contes D’Hoffmann.  Ms. Jepson joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Conlon for Das Lied von der Erde.  She was scheduled to sing her first performances of Fricka in Das Rheingold and Die Walkuere at the Deutsche Oper Berlin under Donald Runnicles.

In the 2007/2008 season Kristine Jepson made her debut in Vienna in the Austrian Premiere of Dead Man Walking at the Theater an der Wien.  She then returned to the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan in a concert of Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang under Riccardo Chailly.  In February of 2008 Jepson debuted at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa in Der Rosenkavalier.  She sang Adalgisa in Normaf or Opera Company of Philadelphia, and sang the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos at Royal Opera, Covent Garden.  Other engagements during the course of the 2007/2008 season included concerts of Duparc in the Netherlands, as well as the United States premiere of Handel’s Giove in Argo with the Collegiate Chorale in Avery Fisher Hall.

Kris Jepson regularly appears in concert.  Recent appearances have included Mozart’s C Minor Mass and Schumann’s Das Paradis und die Peri at the Mostly Mozart Festival under Gerard Schwarz.  She has also performed this work at the Seattle Symphony and for her debut with the San Francisco Symphony.  She has sung often at the Cincinnati May Festival under James Conlon; most recently in Franz Liszt’s rarely performed oratorio. St. Stanislaus.

Other roles in the artist’s repertoire include the title roles in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Handel’s Ariodante and Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuleti ed I Montecchi. Ms Jepson residesd in New York City and Santa Fe. (Quelle http://www.kristinejepson.com/ Foto oben: Kristine Jepson als Charlotte in Massenets „Werther“ an der Oper Frankfurt/ Foto youtube-Trailer der Oper Frankfurt)