Dr. Christine Janis

Voice

Dr. Janis received her Doctorate in voice performance and Master's in vocal pedagogy from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. While completing her graduate degrees, Dr. Janis sang professionally with the Columbus Light Opera, Opera/Columbus, and the Cantari Singers. She also performed with the OSU Opera Theater in such roles as Adele in "Die Fledermaus", Giannetta in "L'Elisir d'Amore", and Margot in "The Desert Song". In 1990 Dr. Janis was awarded a scholarship to attend The American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. A review of her performance in a Schumann Liederabend called her singing "sensitive and warmly conveyed". At the Spoleto Festival in 1985, she sang in the American premiere of Handel's opera "Ariodante" which was nationally broadcast on NPR. As an undergraduate at Westminster Choir College, Dr. Janis was a member of the Westminster Choir and had the privilege to sing under Kurt Mazur, James Levine, Leonard Bernstein, Robert Shaw and Riccardo Muti with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the NY Philharmonic.

Since coming to the Walla Walla valley in August of 1994, Dr. Janis has been active as a solo performer. In May of 1995 she made her Walla Walla stage debut as Dolly Levi in Harper Joy Theatre's production of "Hello Dolly!" . She has been heard in recital and as soloist with: the Whitman Chorale in Haydn's "Little Organ Mass" and Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" ; the Walla Walla Mastersingers in Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" ; the Mid-Columbia Symphony in Faure´'s "Requiem" ; the Walla Walla Symphony in Bernstein's "West Side Story Suites" ; and most recently in Rossini's "Stabat Mater" at Walla Walla College. From 1994 to 1999 Dr. Janis taught voice at Whitman College and for seven years served as choir director at First Presbyterian Church in Walla Walla. She is also the past president of the Inland Empire Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Since 1998 Dr. Janis has been Music Director and Conductor of the Walla Walla Choral Society. Dr. Janis joined the Walla Walla College music department as an adjunct faculty member in the fall of 1999.