Captivating

Powerful

Unforgettable

Kimberly Gratland James

Contralto

Headshot for Kimberly James

About Kimberly

With a tone described as “rich” and “resonant” and performances noted for their vocal strength, nuance, musicality, and convincing dramatic portrayals, contralto Kimberly Gratland James enjoys an active performance career in symphonic and operatic venues.


Recent and upcoming concert performances include Handel’s Judas Maccabeus with the Master Chorale of Flagstaff, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Lieder eines fahrenden

gesellen with the Great Falls Symphony, songs with chamber orchestra by Ethyl Smyth, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Idaho Falls Symphony. She made her Dallas Symphony début this spring as Wellgunde in Das Rheingold and will return next

season for performances of Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung.


Ms. James is equally at home on the operatic stage, most recently performing the lead role of Cecelia in the comic opera Behold the Man with Opera Las Vegas. OperaWire called James the “perfect match” for the character: “...from her very first note and through her last, one might say she channeled the voice of Cecilia.” She also sang the role of Herodias in Rimrock Opera’s production of Salome. Additional recent operatic credits include Gertrude Stein in Ricky Ian Gordon’s powerful opera 27, also with Opera Las Vegas, Madame de Croissy in Dialogues des Carmélites, Principessa in Suor Angelica, and Mary in Der fliegende Holländer. She also joined the Helena Symphony to sing Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro and the title role in Carmen. Ms. James has performed with Chautauqua Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, New Orleans Opera, Opera Las Vegas, Montana Lyric Opera, Lyric Opera Cleveland, and other companies across North America.


A frequent interpreter of the masterworks, Ms. James has sung Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mozart’s Requiem, Duruflé’s Requiem, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Mahler’s Symphony No 8, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Bach’s Magnificat, Haydn’s Paukenmesse, Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle, and Loevendie’s Six Turkish Folkpoems.

Repertoire

Operatic Roles
Symphonic Oratorio

Herodias (Salome)

Fricka (WalkĂĽre)

Waltraute (Götterdämmerung)

Wellgunde (Rheingold, Götterdämmerung)

Erda (Rheingold, Götterdämmerung)

Mary (fliegende Holländer)

Gertrude Stein (27)

Elizabeth Proctor (Crucible)

Cecelia (Behold the Man)

Azucena (Trovatore)

Maddalena (Rigoletto)

Principessa (Suor Angelica)

Mme. de Croissy (Dialogues)

Marcellina (Figaro)

Zweite Dame / Dritte Dame (Zauberflöte)

Mahler 2

Mahler 8

Mahler Lieder eines

fahrenden Gesellen

Beethoven 9

Verdi Requiem

Mozart Requiem

Duruflé Requiem

Bach Magnificat

Bach Matthäus-Passion

Handel Judas Maccabeus

Handel Messiah

Haydn Lord Nelson Mass

Haydn Paukenmesse


Photos

Photo of the Rheinmaidens during performance of Das Rheingold with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
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Rheinmaiden, Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Photo: Sylvia Elzafon

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Lord Nelson Mass, Classical Music Festival,

St. Stephens Cathedral Vienna

Picture of Kimberly as Cecelia, the woman who altered a fresco turning it into a pop meme
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Cecelia, Opera Las Vegas

Photo: Richard Brusky

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Gertrude Stein, OLV

Photo: Richard Brusky

Kimberly singing Verdi's Requiem with the Tallahassee Symphony
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Verdi Requiem, Tallahassee Symphony

Photo: Perrone Ford

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Mahler & Smyth, Great Falls Symphony

Photo: n/a

Contact

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Booking:

T 212.969.1797

F 646.349.5651


Headshots by Greg James

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My email:

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Let's collaborate:


I enjoy performing chamber music, giving master classes & lectures, & private teaching