Kristen Annalize Sussman

Music and performing have always been a part of Los Alamos natives Kristen Annalize Sussman’s and Nathan Salazar’s lives. Although the arts have taken Sussman and Salazar throughout the country and the world, they are returning to their hometown to host a concert.

Nathan Salazar

The Taos Opera Institute is presenting the concert at 3 p.m. Saturday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Admission is free.

Sussman, a soprano, and Salazar, a pianist, will perform a number of pieces from several operas and as well as several other art songs. The program includes Donizetti’s “Falstaff” and “The Daughter of the Regiment,” Puccini’s “Gianni Schicci” and Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.”

Other works by Faure, Strauss, Weill, Korngold, Rogers and Hammerstein, and Cole Porter will be performed, too.

Sussman, a 2005 graduate of Los Alamos High School, said her career in music started right in her hometown. “It all started in Los Alamos,” she said.

She  recalled her first music teacher, Karolyn Coulter, introduced Sussman to opera and classical music. In addition to receiving instruction, Sussman performed in a variety of choirs, high school musicals and sang a number of solos.

Sussman added she has had a number of mentors who have guided her. She describes them as “very powerful, talented, smart women in opera and in the music industry.”

She did her undergraduate work in Chicago and attended the University of Kansas for her master’s degree. Sussman has traveled throughout the world as an opera singer  including performing with the Manchester Orchestra in England and singing with the Bologna Orchestra in Italy. She has also sung with the Hamburg Symphony in German. In the states, Sussman has performed in the Kansas City Lyric Opera and  currently resides in New York.

Salazar is also a native of Los Alamos, and holds a master’s degree in collaborative piano from the University of Michigan. He made his orchestral debut in 2004 with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Similar to Sussman, Salazar has traveled to England, Scotland, Italy, and Russia, as well as all over the United States. He performed in the International Festival of Spanish and Latin American Music as well as been featured in performances at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and Carnegie Hall in New York City. He received a fellowship to Songfest in Los Angeles in 2013 and took part in Songfest’s first commercial recording in 2015.

Sussman said Salazar graduated one or two years after her but their paths continually crossed. Sussman said she ran into Salazar at the University of Kansas where she was pursuing her master’s and Salazar was an undergraduate.

Throughout their interactions, they became friends. “He is one of the most brilliant piano players and collaborative coaches,” Sussman said.

She described the upcoming concert as “the funnest project to do.”

Sussman also has history with the Taos Opera Institute. She said she has sung with them in past festivals  including during the Cantos de Taos. “It’s a really neat festival,” she said.

She added she is looking forward to returning to her hometown and sing again. “It’s very special for me because Los Alamos is truly the place that cultivated my talent and passion for opera.”

While Sussman said she is still learning the ropes herself, she does have some advice for any aspiring opera singers in Los Alamos. “It requires focus that is centered on positivity,” she said. “It’s an art form that you can never stop learning.”

The important thing, Sussman said, is to share music with the audience. “Ultimately the goal is to share music with those who love it.”