Tanya Crist

Composer
Librettist
Miss Havisham

Soprano and composer Tanya Crist holds her BM in Voice Performance from the Juilliard School and an MM in Voice Performance/Pedagogy from Ohio University, where she graduated Phi Kappa Lambda, Summa cum Laude. She has studied with voice teachers Daniel Ferro, David Clatworthy, Phyllis Bryn-Julson (at the Peabody Institute) and most recently, with her father, former Metropolitan Opera bass Richard Crist. She has been acclaimed for her superb musicianship and musical sensitivity. Ms. Crist made her professional debut as Yniold in Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande with the Opera Company of Boston in Ekaterinaberg, Russia under the baton of Sarah Caldwell. While at OU, Ms. Crist performed the roles of the Witch in “Hansel and Gretel” and Geraldine in Samuel Barber’s one-act opera “A Hand of Bridge”, which she had also previously performed in Julliard’s Opera Workshop. Other roles include The Mother in “Hansel and Gretel” (with the Peabody Institute Opera Theater) and Gertrude Stein in Virgil Thompson’s “The Mother of Us All” (JOW). Tanya has performed opera scenes from “Peter Grimes”, “Arabella”, “The Consul”, “La Traviata”, and “Manon” among many others.


She also has extensive experience as an oratorio and concert singer, in works such as Haydn’s “Creation”, Handel’s “Messiah” and the Bach B Minor Mass to name a few. An avid recitalist, she is a champion of new music for the concert stage. Most recently she performed concerts for the North Hall Arts Association in North Hampton Massachusetts

While at Ohio University, Tanya was a graduate assistant for the Voice department where she was responsible for teaching both privately and in the classroom. Tanya studied the piano for twelve years in New York with Margaret Pine and is an experienced vocal coach. Currently, Ms. Crist maintains a private vocal studio in New York City, where she also coaches lyric diction and teaches piano. She was heard in 2008 in a solo recital with collaborative pianist Luke Frazier at Christ & Stephen’s Church in New York City.


As a composer Tanya has written several solo piano pieces and two song cycles for soprano. She is currently writing trombone and flute concertos. Ms. Crist is so excited that the premiere of “Great Expectations” his finally here, and she is thrilled and honored to have such a talented and supportive cast.


Future plans involve the completion of several choral pieces, an adaptation of the novel “North and South” and the birth of her third child this spring. Many thanks to her parents for their love and support, to Mary Alice Korth, without whom she would not have been able to do it all, and to her husband George and sons Alexander and Christopher. You are the light of my life!