Dr. Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk has been named NATS Vice President for Workshops. Appointed by the NATS Board of Directors per the association’s bylaws to fill the unexpired term of the late Kathleen Arecchi, Hurst-Wajszczuk will begin her full term as elected in July.

Associate Professor of Voice and Opera at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Hurst-Wajszczuk has directing experience ranging from Shakespeare to opera to musical theatre and operetta. Recent shows include The Elixir of Love, Mozart’s La Finta Semplice, The Merry Widow, Man of La Mancha, Handel’s Semele, Britten’s The Burning Fiery Furnace, Dido and Aeneas, The Magic Flute, The Pirates of Penzance, and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Other productions include numerous musical theatre shows and scenes, as well as many opera scenes programs.

Under her direction, UAB Opera has grown into a national award-winning program. Over three of the past four years, UAB Opera has won awards in the National Opera Association opera production competition. The winning productions include Britten’s The Burning Fiery Furnace (first place, 2011), Amahl and the Night Visitors (second place, 2012) and Mozart’s La Finta Semplice (third place, 2014).

A soprano, Hurst-Wajszczuk recently appeared in the title role in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with Bourbon Baroque. She debuted with the Boulder Bach Festival in 2004, and with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in 2011. Her concert repertoire ranges from Bach to Barber and beyond, operatic roles from Monteverdi to Stravinsky. She performed in composer Bill Mayer’s 70th birthday celebration concert in New York’s Weill (Carnegie) Recital Hall, in the role of Madeline in the composer’s The Eve of St. Agnes.

Her solo CD of Dowland lute songs with lutenist Ben Cohen was released in 2008 by Centaur. A specialist in the socio-political background surrounding the songs, she has lectured and performed nationally and internationally, including featured presentations at the College Music Society, National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the International Congress of Voice Teachers, among others.

Her website can be found here: www.kristinehurst.com .