THIRD LADY

Denise Knowlton

Denise Knowlton returns to sing with Kansas Concert Opera after her outstanding performance of Mama Lucia in the 2008—2009 season production of Cavalleria Rusicana. She began her career as a Young Artist with Glimmerglass Opera. She toured for two seasons, reprising the roles of Adelaide in Torke’s Strawberry Fields and Mrs. Pompton in Sousa’s The Glass Blowers. She made her Cleveland Orchestra debut as Gertrude (the mother) in Hansel und Gretel in 2004 after appearing with Wichita Grand Opera in the role of Katisha in The Mikado. As Falstaff’s Dame Quickly, Ms. Knowlton spent 2 summers singing that role, first in Kansas City with the Civic Opera followed by a summer in St. Louis with Union Avenue Opera Theatre. She has recreated the role of Katisha in The Mikado with the Kansas City Civic Opera and Paul Mesner Puppets twice. With Musical Theater Heritage she sang the role of Nettie Fowler in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. She returned to Wichita Grand Opera to perform the role of Ulrica in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera. Once again in puppet form she took on the role of the Witch in Paul Mesner’s Hansel and Gretel with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and debuted Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder with Kansas City Civic Orchestra. She created the role of the Wicked Wolf of the West in The Three Little Pigs with Lyric Opera Express and takes the role of the Wicked Stepsister in Paula Winans’ Cinderella on tour in the coming year. In her most recent foray into the world of musical theater, she portrayed Aunt March in the musical version of Little Women under the direction of Linda Ade Brand for Padgett Productions.