Josephine Barstad

Josephine Barstad, soprano, is lauded for her clear and expressive voice. Her artistry has recently been displayed in Music on Site, Inc's production of Notes on Viardot by Michael Ching, where she performed Giulia, and covered Younger Pauline. In the fall and spring, she toured the title role of Rusalka in Opera for the Young's adaptation of Rusalka: a Mermaid's Tale for young audiences all over Northern Minnesota and sang Mary Magdalene in Rob Gardner's oratorio Lamb of God with the Minnesota Saints Chorale and Orchestra. Coming up in summer of 2025, she will return to Lyric Opera of the North to perform as Sally in Strauss II's Die Fledermaus. Later in the summer, she will dip back into verismo as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana at Spotlight on Opera in Tulsa, OK.

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With a flexible voice and sensibilities in a variety of styles, her other engagements include Damon in Acis and Galatea and La Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro at Wichita State University, as well as the title role of Suor Angelica at both WSU and Spotlight on Opera. 

 

Recently, Ms. Barstad was a winner of the WSU Concerto-Aria competition and performed with the University’s Symphony Orchestra. Her other awards include taking third place in St. Croix Valley Opera's Opera on the River Competition, being a finalist for the Naftzger Young Artist Auditions and Awards, and winner of the Minnesota NATS competition. She was a Shera Barton Memorial Fellowship recipient and Graduate Teaching Assistant at WSU. In 2022, she graduated from University of Minnesota Duluth with a bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance, where she performed the role of Rosalinda in an excerpt of Die Fledermaus, as well as Antonia in excerpts of Les contes d’Hoffmann. She has most recently completed her Master of Music in Opera Performance at Wichita State University where she studied with Dr. Cristina Castaldi.  

 

When not in rehearsal, Josephine can be found crocheting and listening to audiobooks at home with her partner Andy and four cats.