Kristin Lewis

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: Aug. 29, 1975, Little Rock

FAVORITE COLOR: Most of my life, it was blue. Now I’m really drawn to purple.

FAVORITE FOOD: In which country? At home in Arkansas, probably barbecue. In Europe, I tend to go for Italian. I like seafood, and Italians do that very well.

I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT EAT: If there’s something I

will not eat, I usually don’t eat it. I LIKE TO WEAR dresses. I WOULD NEVER WEAR jeans. GUESTS AT MY FANTASY DINNER PARTY: [Conductor] Zubin Mehta, Michelle Obama, Oprah, Martin Luther King Jr. I’d like [legendary soprano] Maria Callas, [conductor] James Levine. My mother. My voice teacher, Carol Byers.

FAVORITE ROLE OTHER THAN AIDA: Elizabeta, from [Giuseppe Verdi’s] Don Carlo. It’s my favorite opera of all time.

ROLE I DESPERATELY WANT TO SING: For a long time, I thought I wanted to sing [the title role] in Norma. But now I don’t think my life will be over if I don’t sing it.

IF I’VE LEARNED ONE THING IN LIFE, IT’S to be

true to yourself.

PEOPLE WHO KNEW ME IN HIGH SCHOOL THOUGHT I WAS quirky. MY PARENTS WOULD DESCRIBE ME AS talented and beautiful. I KNEW I WAS GROWN UP after living in Europe. I moved there for a year and decided to stay.

FAVORITE OPERATIC PERFORMERS: Maria Callas,

Leontyne Price THE BEST ADVICE I EVER RECEIVED: Listen to the advice of others, but always be true to yourself.

ONE WORD TO SUM ME UP: grateful