The mezzo-soprano Kristine Jepson is rapidly earning international recognition as one of the finest young artists of our day and has been acclaimed in leading theatres, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie, Opéra National de Paris, Dallas Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Miami Opera and at the Santa Fe Opera Festival in rôles such as Sesto in Mozart's La clemenza di Tito, the Composer in Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos and Sister Helen in Dead Man Walking. In December of 2000 she sang her first performances as Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier at the Metropolitan Opera and was praised highly for her interpretation of this cornerstone of the mezzo repertoire. She subsequently made her début in this rôle at the Teatro alla Scala, Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and at the Hamburg State Opera. Her career continues with appearances at the the Royal Opera Covent Garden, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Netherlands Opera, Frankfurt Opera, SemperOper Dresden and at the Gran Teatro del Liceu, Barcelona. Kristine Jepson returned to the Metropolitan Opera in the autumn of 2003 as Ascanio in the new production and Metropolitan Opera première of Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini under James Levine. She added Idamante in Idomeneo to her repertoire at the Flemish Opera and made her first appearance in Amsterdam in another rôle début, Erika in Radio Vara's concert performance of Barber's Vanessa.