Arizona Opera Cast Members & Creatives

Mezzo-soprano Chrystal E. Williams has been described by leading critics as “strong and so assured”, “lithely negotiating the coloratura demands before descending into a robust low register”, and “poised, polished, in complete command of the vocal calisthenics”. She is a winner of Astral Artist, Inc’s 2014 National Auditions.

Recent and upcoming: Ms. Williams was soloist in Nach Dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150, with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting; soloist with the Lancaster Symphony, Mozart's Requiem; soloist with OperaDelaware in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle; revisited her role as Rebecca in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird in a co-production with Hackney Empire and English National Opera; and sang Olga in Eugene Onegin with Northern Lights Music Festival for the summer of 2017. This season’s engagements include Charlotte in Werther with Baltimore Concert Opera and OperaDelaware; Pearl/Mary O'Fallen in Ricky Ian Gordon's Morning Star; concerts with Annapolis Opera; soloist with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, Verdi's Requiem; and Rosina with Northern Lights Music Festival summer 2018. Next season includes Charlie Parker's Yardbird with Atlanta Opera and Arizona Opera; returns to Birmingham Opera Company UK in 2019 as Katerina in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and sings under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (UK). Ms Williams will make her Merkin Concert Hall debut May 2019.

Past season included the role of Publia and covered the role of Arsace in Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira at Caramoor; soloist in Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time with Boston Modern Orchestra Projects; Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Springfield Symphony; concert with the North Carolina Philharmonic; Bach’s Magnificat with the New Jersey MasterChorale; concerts with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in Sweden; debuted with Washington National Opera as Elizabeth Keckley/Coretta Scott King in Philip Glass’s Appomattox; was reëngaged with Birmingham Opera Company (UK) as Dido in Dido and Aeneas; presented in recital with Portsmouth Community Concerts; guest soloist in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with Smith College; reprised Rebecca in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird at the Apollo Theater under the auspices of Opera Philadelphia; and, sang a role debut as Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel with Knoxville Opera.