Lisa Houston is a writer and classical singer from Berkeley, California. She is a frequent contributor to the website San Francisco Classical Voice, and the founder of Singer’s Spirit, a website dedicated to cultivating the love and art of classical singing.
Lisa began her career as an actress in New York where she studied acting a Lee Strasberg and received her B.F.A. in Acting from New York University. After college, Lisa toured Europe in avant-garde theater, performing in the UK, France, Spain and Italy. Lisa received a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, after which she returned to California, where she has performed leading roles with opera companies throughout the state as well as performing as soloist with choral ensembles, symphonies and musical theatre companies. Lisa returned to Europe in 2010 where she performed in concert, and studied numerous dramatic soprano roles with Kammersängerin Deborah Polaski.
Most demanding role: Elektra, sung in a workshop production with Maestro Kent Nagano. Carmen's tough too (sung in Modesto, in mezzo days) but in a street fight, Elektra would take Carmen down, no question.
Funnest gig ever: playing legendary diva, Astrid Varnay in Kammeroper Leipzig’s comic pastiche, See You in Walhalla.
Most meaningful gig: performing an arrangement of Song of Solomon by the Lithuanian Composer Laureate Anatolijus Šenderovas at the National Philharmonie in Vilnius, a century after her Jewish ancestors fled that region due to persecution.
These days Lisa spends most of her time writing, though one of her dogs, "Gadget," is quite operatic, and insists that she vocalize with him regularly.
In addition to "Gadget," who is a black and white papillon mix, Lisa's current pack includes "Hayward," a black lab she found roaming the streets of Hayward, and a chihuahua-esque princess named "Toffee."
Lisa began her career as an actress in New York where she studied acting a Lee Strasberg and received her B.F.A. in Acting from New York University. After college, Lisa toured Europe in avant-garde theater, performing in the UK, France, Spain and Italy. Lisa received a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, after which she returned to California, where she has performed leading roles with opera companies throughout the state as well as performing as soloist with choral ensembles, symphonies and musical theatre companies. Lisa returned to Europe in 2010 where she performed in concert, and studied numerous dramatic soprano roles with Kammersängerin Deborah Polaski.
Most demanding role: Elektra, sung in a workshop production with Maestro Kent Nagano. Carmen's tough too (sung in Modesto, in mezzo days) but in a street fight, Elektra would take Carmen down, no question.
Funnest gig ever: playing legendary diva, Astrid Varnay in Kammeroper Leipzig’s comic pastiche, See You in Walhalla.
Most meaningful gig: performing an arrangement of Song of Solomon by the Lithuanian Composer Laureate Anatolijus Šenderovas at the National Philharmonie in Vilnius, a century after her Jewish ancestors fled that region due to persecution.
These days Lisa spends most of her time writing, though one of her dogs, "Gadget," is quite operatic, and insists that she vocalize with him regularly.
In addition to "Gadget," who is a black and white papillon mix, Lisa's current pack includes "Hayward," a black lab she found roaming the streets of Hayward, and a chihuahua-esque princess named "Toffee."