Dr. Kirsten Ann Blair

Dr. Kirsten Ann Blair, soprano, enjoys a vibrant musical lifestyle as a singer and educator. Dr. Blair is a versatile performer, having recently participated in opera, classical, and contemporary performances on both national and international stages. She has presented recitals at Arizona State University, the Eastman School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, James Madison University, Loyola University, West Virginia University, Lisbon (Portugal), Athens (Greece), East London, White River and Nelspruit (South Africa), Harare (Zimbabwe), and in her home states of Maine and Alaska. She has played principal roles with Opera Fairbanks, Anchorage Opera, Varna International Music Academy, and internationally with Théâtre Roger Barat (France), International Summer of Opera Festival of Morelia (Mexico), and the Lowveld Chamber Music Association (South Africa). Selected roles include Micaëla (Bizet's "Carmen"), Rose (Weill's "Street Scene"), Lucy (Menotti's "The Telephone"), and Roxy LaRue in the World Premier of "The Color of Gold."

She has performed as a featured soloist with the Arizona Women's Collaborative, the University of Alaska Fairbanks New Music Festival, the Collaborative Piano Institute at the University of Michigan, the Hawai'i International Music Festival, the Vianden Festival in Luxembourg, and two consecutive sessions in Zimbabwe for Music Inspire Africa. Recently, she sang with the Fairbanks Ragtime Club, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Jazz Combo, Blue & Gold Alumni Celebration rock/pop cover band, and Golden Heart Performing Arts' circus artists as a singing aerialist. 

A passionate teacher, Dr. Blair maintains a diverse private studio inclusive of a wide range of singing styles and appreciates working wtih singers in group environments. She is a sought-after adjudicator for Regional Solo & Ensemble and National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions in both Classical and Musical Theatre categories, and was the 2024 Nelspruit Eisteddfod Vocal Division adjudicator in South Africa. She was a recipient of Arizona State University's Graduate and Professional Student Association Teaching Excellence Award in 2020 and was selected for the prestigious National Association of Teachers of Singing 2024 Internship Program. Dr. Blair previously served the University of Alaska Fairbanks Music Department as a voice instructor, as well as her Fairbanks community as Board Vice-President of Fairbanks Light Opera Theatre, Director of the Great Land Sounds Barbershop Chorus, Vice-President of the NATS Alaska Chapter, and Artistic Director of the 2025 Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Opera & Musical Theatre Program. Dr. Blair is a voice instructor at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz and James Madison University.

Dr. Dario Martin

A native of Havana, Cuba, Dr. Dario Martin is a dynamic and versatile pianist whose international career spans solo performance, chamber music, and collaborative piano. A prize-winning artist, Dr. Martin has earned first prizes in prestigious piano competitions in Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, and the United States. Highlights include winning the 2018 Concerto Competition at Indiana University with a performance of Ligeti’s Piano Concerto and securing First Prize at the 2014 José Jacinto Cuevas Yamaha Piano International Competition in Mexico.

Dr. Martin has performed extensively across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. His appearances as a soloist include performances with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, the Havana Chamber Orchestra, and the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra. Recent engagements feature recitals at the Young Pianist Series in Knoxville, the Wakkerstroom Music Festival in South Africa, masterclasses and concerts in Costa Rica, performances in France, and Austria—including Lieder recitals in Salzburg.

Currently on the piano faculty at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Dr. Martin teaches Applied Piano Lessons, Piano Literature, Piano Pedagogy, Chamber Music, and Keyboard Skills. He previously taught at the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 2023 to 2025. During this time, he collaborated with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, the Northern Lights String Orchestra, and both faculty and guest artists. Since 2022, he has served as music director, conductor, and collaborative pianist at the Austrian-American Mozart Academy in Salzburg.

Dr. Martin earned his Doctor of Music in Piano Literature and Performance from Indiana University–Bloomington, studying under Arnaldo Cohen, with minors in Collaborative Piano and Music Education. He also holds a Performer’s Diploma and Master of Music from Southern Methodist University, where he studied with renowned pianist Joaquín Achúcarro, and a Bachelor of Music from the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana.

An acclaimed recording artist, his debut album El Álbum de la Ciudad Celeste (2011) won the Cubadisco Award for Best Classical Solo Album. Additional recordings include Netzaj, in collaboration with trumpet player Fadev Sanjudo, and Up into the Silence, with singer Diana Fuentes. His second solo album, Juegos de Agua, was released by FT Music in Mexico. He is a recognized legacy pianist of the Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation.