Kirsten Blair
Soprano
Teaching Philosophy
My goal as an instructor is to facilitate a positive and supportive environment for singers to experience artistic self-discovery, develop skills of technical mastery, as well as explore their capacity for collaborative music-making. I meet and connect with each student wherever they are in their journey with singing and offer customized strategies and resources that are relevant to their individual interests. To prepare students for healthy self-assessment, I guide them in identifying their strengths and challenges, and require them to set personal, realistic goals. I then encourage them to engage in the many challenges of the musical learning process from a perspective of creativity and empowerment. I use my experience as a certified yoga instructor to guide each student in discovering a satisfying and effective use of their instrument through whole-body awareness. Within the field of performance instruction, I support students in their use of interpretive flexibility as they explore the connection between emotional and physical aspects of musicianship. These strategies, and more, allow students to feel welcome from the moment they enter my studio as they build confidence in their abilities to improve and enjoy their singing, as well as feel excited and confident to share it with others.
Dr. Kirsten Ann Blair, soprano, enjoys a vibrant musical lifestyle as a singer and educator. Dr. Blair is a versatile performer, having recently participated in opera, classical, and contemporary performances on both national and international stages. She has presented recitals at Arizona State University, the Eastman School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, James Madison University, Loyola University, West Virginia University, Lisbon (Portugal), Athens (Greece), East London, White River and Nelspruit (South Africa), Harare (Zimbabwe), and in her home states of Maine and Alaska. She has played principal roles with Opera Fairbanks, Anchorage Opera, Varna International Music Academy, and internationally with Théâtre Roger Barat (France), International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia (Mexico), and the Lowveld Chamber Music Association (South Africa). Selected roles include Micaëla (Bizet’s “Carmen”), Rose (Weill’s “Street Scene”), Lucy (Menotti’s “The Telephone”), and Roxy LaRue in the World Premiere of “The Color of Gold.”
Dr. Blair has shared the orchestral stage with ensembles such as the Arizona State University Orchestra, Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Northern Lights String Orchestra, Orquestra de Cámera de Zapopan (Guadalajara), Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Uplands Festival Orchestra (South Africa), American Institute of Musical Studies: Graz Festival Orchestra, Varna International Muzika! Academy Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Gregory Buchalter of the Metropolitan Opera, and most recently with the Chamber Orchestra of Kona (Hawai’i). She has performed as a featured soloist with the Arizona Women’s Collaborative, the University of Alaska Fairbanks New Music Festival, the Hawai’i International Music Festival, the Vianden Festival in Luxembourg, and two consecutive sessions in Zimbabwe for Music Inspire Africa. Recently, she sang with the Fairbanks Ragtime Club, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Jazz Combo, Blue & Gold Alumni Celebration rock/pop cover band, and Golden Heart Performing Arts’ circus artists as a singing aerialist.
A passionate teacher, Dr. Blair maintains a diverse private studio inclusive of a wide range of singing styles and appreciates working with singers in group environments. She is a sought after adjudicator for Regional Solo & Ensemble and National Association of Teaching of Singing competitions in both Classical and Musical Theatre categories, and was the 2024 Nelspruit Eisteddfod Vocal Division adjudicator in South Africa. She was a recipient of Arizona State University’s Graduate and Professional Student Association Teaching Excellence Award in 2020 and was selected for the prestigious National Association of Teachers of Singing 2024 Internship Program. Dr. Blair currently serves the University of Alaska Fairbanks Music Department as a voice instructor, where she has instructed private and class voice, music appreciation, and ear training. She also serves her community as Board Vice-President of Fairbanks Light Opera Theatre, Director of the Great Land Sounds Barbershop Chorus, Vice-President of the NATS Alaska Chapter, and Artistic Director of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Opera & Musical Theatre Program.
