Soprano Kendra Berentsen, "Resplendent with ripe vocal coloration and seemingly effortless power..." (Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle) posseses a "burnished amber tone and dynamic command," "A silvery soprano tone and faultless diction..." (San Francisco Chronicle), singing “effortlessly in the stratosphere" (San Francisco Classical Voice),  Ms. Berentsen returned to the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera Center in 2018 singing Leïla in Les Pêcheurs de Perles in the Schwabacher Summer Concert under the baton of Kathleen Kelly, will cover Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, and will sing Massenet’s Thaïs in the Merola Grand Finale under the baton of Dean Williamson.  Additionally, the Shoshana Foundation awarded Ms. Berentsen the prestigious Richard F. Gold Career Grant for Merola in 2018.    At Merola in 2017, she was featured in The Schwabacher Summer Concert as Baby Doe in Ballad of Baby Doe under the baton of Anne Manson and covered Serpina in La Serva Padrona.  She also sang Marie in La Fille du Regiment for the Merola Grand Finale under the baton of Anthony Walker in the War Memorial Opera House. 

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Kendra's most recent credits in New York City have been Adele in Die Fledermaus, Frasquita in Carmen, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Juliette in Romeo et Juliette, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni.  Kendra has been a soloist with New York Repertory Orchestra and the Astoria Symphony. A native of Portland, Oregon Kendra received her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music from Eastman School of Music.  While at Eastman, Eastman Opera Theater featured Kendra in principal roles as Carolina Il Matrimonio Segreto, Flora in Turn of the Screw, Herz in The Impresario, Kost in Cabaret, and Manon in the 2010 Opera Gala. Kendra has also participated in Joan Dornemann’s International Vocal Arts Institute in Montréal and Blacksburg, VA.  She is a student of Patricia McCaffrey and coaches with Kamal Khan.

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