Composer Kristin Kuster “writes commandingly for the orchestra,” and her music “has an invitingly tart edge” (The New York Times). Kristin’s compositions take inspiration from architectural space, the weather, and mythology. Her orchestral music “unquestionably demonstrates her expertise in crafting unique timbres” (Steve Smith, Night after Night).
Upcoming and recent premieres include: Upland Green with violinist Matt Albert and orchestra in November 2025, A Thousand Acres with Des Moines Metro Opera in July 2022, Dune Acres with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in February 2019; and When There Are Nine with mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, Roomful of Teeth, and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music Orchestra, featuring poetry by Megan Levad, in August 2019.
Kristin recently received an OPERA America Discovery Grant for female composers, made possible through the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. The grant supported Kristin’s work Kept: a ghost story, a 75-minute chamber opera drawn from the haunting of northern Michigan’s Old Presque Isle Lighthouse. Featuring a libretto by poet Megan Levad, Kept was premiered at the Virginia Arts Festival with support from the John Duffy Institute for New Opera in May 2017.
Kristin’s music has been also presented by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, the United States Air Force Heritage Brass Ensemble, Eighth Blackbird, Philadelphia-based Network for New Music, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, the Lisbon Summerfest Chamber Choir, multi-percussionist Joseph Gramley, and the PRISM Saxophone Quartet.
Kristin’s music has received support from such organizations as Opera America, the American Academy of Arts and Letters (Charles Ives Fellowship), the Sons of Norway, American Composers Orchestra, League of American Orchestras, New Music USA, American Opera Projects, the Jerome Foundation, and the Jack L. Adams Foundation.
