Katherine Krebs

Katherine Krebs is a graduate from the master’s program in voice and opera performance at Northwestern University under the direction of Stephen Smith. She also completed her bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and psychology at Oberlin College and Conservatory, studying under the tutelage of Salvatore Champagne. Krebs is excited to be singing with Off the Dock Music Festival this summer in Skaneateles, New York. In addition to her work as a performer, Krebs is passionate about teaching and sharing her love of music with her students.

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At Northwestern, Krebs was a recipient of the Eckstein Scholarship and the Emily Boettcher and Yule Bogue Endowed Award. With Northwestern Opera Theater she performed as Monica in The Medium and Selena in If I Were You.

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Krebs joined the Chautauqua Institution performing Mustardseed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with conductor Julius Abrahams and director John Giampetro. Here, she also performed in a McKnight Hall Recital with Joel Harder, and performed in a master class with Joan Patenaude-Yarnell.

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At Oberlin Conservatory, Krebs performed Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Oberlin Opera Theater, conducted by Christopher Larkin and directed by Jonathon Field. She joined organ professor Christa Rakich for her Organ Faculty Recital as a soloist on the song cycle, Four Mirthless Songs by James Woodman.  She was selected to perform in a public master class with Marilyn Horne during her Artist Recital Series at Oberlin. In 2021, she received second place in the Tuesday Musical Akron Concert Series Competition.

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A lover of contemporary music, Krebs worked with composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek on their new opera, Proving Up, as Littler Daughter with Oberlin Opera Theater. For her appearance in this riveting work Cleveland Classical noted that “sopranos Maggie Kinabrew and Katherine Krebs stole scenes, if not the whole show, as the daughters, soaring to shocking pitches in operatic style only to cackle, mock, and wheedle in extended vocal techniques, haunting the parents who lost them.”  Krebs worked again with librettist Royce Vavrek this fall, during the workshop of the world premiere of his opera The Wild Beast of the Bungalow with composer Rachel J. Peters.  She also worked with librettist Gene Scheer in a staged rendition of his song cycle with Jake Heggie, Camille Claudel: Into the fire, during Oberlin’s Winter Term project, Words into Sound.

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Celebrating Bernstein’s centennial, Krebs performed Eileen Sherwood in Oberlin’s Salute to Leonard Bernstein and was the Soprano Trio Member in Trouble in Tahiti with Oberlin Opera Theater.  She was also a soloist in the Voices of Canton Bernstein Centennial concert, and a recipient of their Stover Scholarship. Krebs also joined the College Light Opera Company’s 2018 season where she performed Johanna in Sweeney Todd, and Eileen Sherwood in Bernstein’sWonderful Town.  For her performance in Wonderful Town Krebs was praised by the Cape Cod Times for her “terrific soprano that precisely slices through other voices and sits cleanly on top, clear and easily heard.” Krebs performed as a soloist with the Highfield Orchestra in their Independence Day Concert. Krebs also performed in the 50th Anniversary Jubilee Gala to celebrate half a century of performances for the College Light Opera Company.

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Krebs also performed the leading role of Bellina in Cimarosa’s Le astuzie femminili with Oberlin in Italy. At Oberlin in Italy, Krebs performed in the Laticastelli outreach concert in Arezzo, Italy. Other roles include Romilda in Handel’s Serse with Skidmore College.  In her studies Krebs has performed in master classes with world renowned instructors such as Marilyn Horne, Danielle Orlando, Joan Patenaude-Yarnell, and Margo Garrett.  Krebs was also a soloist in the internationally streamed World Voice Day  concert at Oberlin Conservatory.  Krebs also performed as Lady Macbeth in a staged production of Thomas Pasatieri’s Lady Macbeth at Oberlin Conservatory.

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Krebs made her professional debut in the role of Fredrika with the Syracuse Opera in their production of A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim. For this role Syracuse.com wrote “ingenue Krebs, playing Desiree's daughter, Federika, is all blithe spirit, her pure voice and graceful movement counterbalancing the prevailing, overtly sexual milieu.”