Lee University will host a faculty recital with Dr. Julianne Olson, soprano, and Kristen Holritz, flute, on Monday, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Squires Recital Hall, located in Lee’s Humanities Center.

The duo will perform “Double Treble,” a journey of diverse stories told by living female composers. The program will include Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s “Changing Light,” Valerie Coleman’s “Danza de la Mariposa” (“Dance of the Butterfly”), Nicole Chamberlain’s whimsical “Nonsense,” and Cherise Leiter’s “American Folk Suite.”

“We invite everyone to arrive with a sense of humor and open minds as we venture into these exciting modern works that champion female composers,” says Olson. “Listeners will be able to fully embrace a variety of unorthodox soundscapes that are not always heard in a traditional recital setting.”

Olson, who joined the School of Music faculty in 2020, is an adjunct professor in music at Lee, where she teaches courses in voice and voice labs.

She has performed in 15 countries and four continents, including with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Princeton Festival, Hungarian National Theater of Szeged and Pécs, Opera Roanoke, DiCapo Opera, Voice Afire, Rose Theater with Lincoln Center, New York Opera Studio, Triad Stage, on cross over stages as a contemporary singer at Mambo Italian NYC and Smoke in Harlem, and on solo tour in China with the Manhattan Symphonie.

Olson has also held many former positions including training classical and musical theatre singers at Elon University, coordinator of contemporary voice at Universitas Pelitas Harapan, teaching artist at Chicago Opera Theater Opera for All, voice teacher at Singer’s Forum NYC, project leader with Sing for Hope NYC, and master class clinician throughout the Indonesian archipelago and at Kangnam University in Seoul, South Korea.

She is a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists, College Music Society, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She is also on the summer voice CCM/Musical Theater faculty at Opera Viva! in Verona, Italy. Olson has won numerous awards for her work including multiple from the Metropolitan Opera National Council.

Olson holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Music (MM) from New Jersey City University, and a Bachelor of Music (BM) from The Boston Conservatory.

Noted for her “beautiful tone and vibrato,” Holritz serves as principal flute of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, a position she has held since 2013. She is an adjunct flute professor at both Lee University and Southern Adventist University and maintains a private teaching studio out of her home in Chattanooga. She also teaches at the Bay View Music Festival in Michigan during the summer.

In addition to her orchestral responsibilities, Holritz appears with the Chattanooga Symphony Wind Quintet in schools across Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama in an effort to engage and enrich the community through music. She also has numerous freelancing engagements including substituting with the Nashville Symphony, Nashville Opera, Alabama Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, and Iris Orchestra. Holritz performs extensively with her husband, violinist Dr. Josh Holritz.

Kristen Holritz holds an MM from The Juilliard School and a BM from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

“From beautiful melodies to rhythmic tones to comical song cycles, “Double Treble” promises to be unique and enjoyable for all,” says Holritz.

The recital is free and open to the public. It will also be available via livestream at https://leeu.live.

Lee University remains dedicated to the health and safety of both the campus community and guests. COVID-19 protocols will be observed based on CDC recommendations at the time of each performance. As of August 11, masks are required when indoors on Lee’s campus.

For more information about the recital or the Lee University School of Music, email [email protected] or call (423) 614-8240.