ABOUT DANA

Dana Kinney is a multi-faceted artist working as an actor, opera director and singer. She is currently in her second year as a Resident Artist Stage Director at Pittsburgh Opera. Last season, she served as assistant stage director for Tosca, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, Armida, Madama Butterfly, and Woman with Eyes Closed. This season, she will direct Curlew River and assist La Bohème, Fellow Travelers, Time to Act and Falstaff.

Ms. Kinney maintains an active directing career and has served on the directing staffs at Seattle Opera, Central City Opera, The Dallas Opera, Syracuse Opera, Boulder Opera Company, Opera Fort Collins and Loveland Opera Theatre. As an educator, she has worked with developing artists at Carnegie Mellon University, Ithaca College, University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University, Regis University and University of Northern Alabama. Continuing her commitment to new operatic works, she directed a new composition of The Blue Fairy, by Pittsburgh-based composer, Robert Frankenberry. Her additional staging credits include L’enfant et les sortilèges, L’elisir d’amore, Signor Deluso, The Wandering Scholar, Thunder of Horses, The Daughter of the Regiment, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Impresario, as well as numerous opera scenes for young artist programs, universities and Opera in the Park events.

As a mezzo-soprano, she has performed throughout her home state of Colorado in roles including Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti, Carmen in Carmen, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, and Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana. Her recent performance engagements has been focused on new operatic works, including the role of “They” in Nathan Hall’s World Premiere production of Atlas of the Remote Islands and several workshop performances of the role “Rae” in Don DiNicola’s new opera, Vespa. Additional credits include Mercédès (Carmen), Tisbe (La Cenerentola), The Baker’s Wife (Into the Woods), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), Baba (The Medium) and Buttercup (H.M.S Pinafore). She was a finalist in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition and has received awards such as the Allied Arts’ Orville Moore Memorial Award.

Ms. Kinney continues to expand her performing repertoire as an actor, writer and comedian. She has trained at The Barrow Group, Upright Citizens Brigade, The People’s Improv Theater, Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Rise Comedy, and has appeared in feature films, commercials, short films, and improv and sketch comedy productions in Denver, Pittsburgh and New York City. She holds a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Theatre from the University of Northern Colorado.