“Kyaunnee Richardson is a sparkling Frasquita.”
Dario Acosta Photography
This season, Kyaunnee Richardson debuts as the Soprano Soloist in the ensemble of Porgy and Bess at the MetropolitanOpera, Frasquita in Carmen with New York City Opera at Bryant Park and as the Soprano Soloist in Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de Dominica at Carnegie Hall. She also debuted as Maxie in the world premiere of The Eleanors with the Savannah VOICE Festival, Sister 2 in Why I Live at the PO with UrbanArias and Calpurnia in The Secret River with Opera Orlando.
Highlights from previous seasons include Johanna in Sweeney Todd with the American Gothic Performing Arts Festival; Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with Amelia Island Opera; Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with the Savannah VOICE Festival; Adele in Die Fledermaus, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Despina in Così fan tutte with Opera in Williamsburg; Monica in The Medium with First Coast Opera; Juliette in Roméo et Juliette and Maria in West Side Story with Gulfshore Opera’s Gala Concert; Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and Frasquita in Carmen with Opera Orlando; Alice Allegretto/Dr. Marigold in Bruce Adolphe’s The Amazing Adventure of Alvin Allegretto and Pamina in The Magic Flute with Orchestra Miami; Monica in The Medium, Nella in Gianni Schicchi and Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos with Opera Fusion and Papagena in The Magic Flute with the Festival of the Arts Boca. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic she has performed virtually, including Opera Fusion’s #SongStrong and Music to Eat Chocolate By e-concerts, Hued Songs in Make Music Miami, and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s International Online Cadenza Competition.
Kyaunnee also participated in Opera Fusion’s Emerging Artist Project series and the Savannah VOICE Festival where she sang various roles and concerts. She’s also performed musical theatre roles such as Glinda in Stage Door’s production of The Wiz, Yema in Utah Festival’s regional premiere of Smith’s Amazing Grace and Esther in Ginsberg’s Esther, Sweet Esther at the National Press Club in Washington DC. While completing her masters at Florida State University, Kyaunnee performed the roles of Rose Maurrant in Street Scene and Despina in Così fan tutte.
“…Calpurnia is an appealing role, thrillingly played here by soprano Kyaunnee Richardson, who was on stage for virtually the entire 65-minute opera... her girlish charm and accurate, colorful singing picked up momentum and presence as the story unfolded, and by the end her performance felt like a real star turn…” ~John Fleming, Musical America
“And Kyaunnee Richardson is especially memorable with a beautifully playful coloratura and a winning way with a snarky aside.” ~Matt Palm, Orlando Sentinel
Dario Acosta Photography
Other performances as a soloist in concert includes Schubert’s Mass in G and Handel’s Messiah with the Civic Chorale of Greater Miami and the Alhambra Orchestra, Bach’s Coffee Cantanta with Opera Orlando and Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Delray Orchestra. Kyaunnee has also been a featured soloist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Symphony, New World Symphony, Brevard Symphony, Symphony of the Americas, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Hallandale Symphonic Pops Orchestra, Sugar Pops Orchestra, Opera Fusion Orchestra, Coral Gables Chamber Orchestra and Sunrise Symphonic Pops Orchestra.
Kyaunnee placed first in the 2023 Opera Ebony's Benjamin Matthews Vocal Competition and was a semi-finalist in the 2023 American Traditions Vocal Competition where she was awarded the Sherrill Milnes American Opera Award.
Other awards include being one of the top four finalists in Orchestra Noir’s International Medallion Competition, a finalist in the 2025 and 2020 SAS Performing Arts Vocal Competition, the Michael Ballam Concorso Lirico Opera Competition, placing third in the New York Lyric Opera Theatre and Opera Ebony’s Benjamin Matthews Vocal Competition, the Audience Favorite Award in the Harlem Opera Theater Competition, the Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and Stuart Smith Audience Favorite Award from Opera Ebony. Kyaunnee counts among her highest honors singing for President Barak Obama and other dignitaries at the funeral of South Carolina Senator and Rev. Clementa Pinckney.
“… but from the first notes of Miami-native Kyaunnee Richardson’s ‘Summertime’ early in the first scene, the audience was put on notice that this was to be a truly memorable occasion.” ~South Florida Gay News
“The great female solos go to supporting characters. Kyaunnee Richardson opened the opera with a lyrical rendition of ‘Summertime’ — sung by Clara, who never returns except for a brief repairs of the shows’s most famous excerpt.” ~Palm Beach Arts Paper