Kristine Jepson 1962 - 2017
JEPSON, PETERSEN
Posted By: Connie Swearingen-volunteer (email)
Date: 5/28/2017 at 21:47:57
Onawa Democrat
24 May 2017Kristine Jepson, 54, internationally acclaimed American mezzo-soprano, died Friday, April 21, 2017, in New York City.
A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, May 27, 2017, with a visitation from 5:00 – 8:00 P.M. and a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. at the Rush Family Chapel in Onawa, Iowa, with Pastor Dennis Burns officiating. A private family service will be held at 3:00 P.M. Sunday, May 28, 2017, at the Ingemann Danish Church in rural Moorhead, Iowa, led by Bonnie Matthaidess. Arrangements are under the direction of Rush Family Care Service in Onawa.
"Kris" was born July 28, 1962, in Onawa, Iowa, to Magnus "Mac" and Dorothy (Petersen) Jepson. She grew up on a farm in the area and graduated from West Monona High School. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, before attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, where she completed a Master's Degree in Music Performance in 1987.
Kristine began her professional career in Chicago, where she appeared in local productions and auditioned for the San Francisco Opera. She joined a tour of the United States and another of Japan with this company. She also sang in China. Following the tours, she moved to New York City and made her home there for the remainder of her life.
In 1993, Kristine made her Metropolitan Opera debut and is credited with over 100 performances in 15 roles with the Met. They included "Octavian" in Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier and "Cherubino" from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro.
Kris sang with many regional companies in the United States, and played "Kitty Oppenheimer" in the first San Francisco run of John Adam's Doctor Atomic. She replaced Susan Graham in the role of "Sister Helen" in the premiere production of Dead Man Walking by Jake Heggie, also with the San Francisco Opera.
Kristine's international career took her to Canada, Chile, and Brazil. She sang numerous roles with European Opera companies, including the Royal Opera at Covent Garden in London, La Scala in Milan, the Monnaie, the Liceu, Dresden, and Munich.
Beyond her professional career, Kris was known for her wonderful sense of humor. She was dearly loved and highly respected by her colleagues and peers. She had many friends around the world.
Survivors include her mother, Dorothy Jepson of Onawa, IA; three brothers, Marlon Jepson of Onawa, IA, Paul (Deb) Jepson of Spencer, IA, and Timothy Jepson of Kansas City, MO; one niece; and two nephews.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Arthur and Anna Jepson and Thorvald and Florence Petersen; her father, Magnus Jepson; and her brother, David Jepson.
Memorials in Kristine's honor may be directed to the Ingemann Danish Church in rural Moorhead, Iowa, and to the Onawa Public Library in Onawa, Iowa.
Monona Obituaries maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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