Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

At the San Francisco Sinfonietta’s 30th year performance of Handel’s Sing It Yourself Messiah at the Davies Symphony Hall, one Filipino-American stood out – mezzo-soprano Kristine Sinajon.

In fact, she is the only Filipino in this production.

The exuberant performance of this beloved San Francisco holiday tradition came alive with the brilliant conducting of Maestro Urs Leonhardt Steiner, and showcases featured soloists that include Kristine.

Being part of the performance was no easy task. Soloists where chosen through a public competition last October 2007, and Kristine was picked to perform the mezzo-soprano part in the December 2007 performance. Quite impressed with her vocal abilities and strong stage performance, Conductor Urs decided to have her back for this year’s performance at Davies Symphony Hall.

Kristine’s training in singing started when she became a part of the San Francisco Girls Chorus, where she was accepted into Level III, progressed to Virtuouse (the highest in Chorus School in five years), and completed the Opera Arts Training Program.

She then enrolled at the San Francisco State University (SFSU), taking up Vocal Performance. During her stay at SFSU she was a member of the Chamber Singers and was featured in their albums, A Heart’s Journey and Sing Me to Heaven. Kristine was also a solo performer with the Chamber Singers’ tours to China, Cuba, Germany and Czech Republic.

Kristine continued to sing beautiful music as she took up her post-graduate studies in Vocal Performance at one of the leading music institutions in the world, the Royal College of Music in London.

Praised for her vocal warmth and beauty, Kristine is very much in demand in San Francisco. Just last October, she played the role of Didang in a contemporary kundiman cycle, Lalawigan, commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission and composed by critically acclaimed classical guitarist Florante Aguilar. Kristine dazzled the audience with her beautiful rendition of the kundiman songs and convincing portrayal of the insane character, Didang alongside Philippine actor Raymond Bagatsing and Kyle de Ocera. Aside from these performances, Kristine has also played the role of Carmen, which she carried so fiercely.

At present, Kristine is highly active in the Archdiocese of San Francisco as a professional cantor and as Director of Music at St. Brendan Church. She is also the cantor at the Commissiong of the Simbang Gabi at St. Mary’s Cathedral, celebrated by Archbishop George Niederauer.

Having performed numerous mezzo-soprano and soprano roles in Italian, French, Spanish, German, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Filipino, Kristine’s talent is a force to be reckoned with. Her performances have brought her to countries like Cuba, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Greece, to name a few. She has showed the Filipino talent not only in the United States but also to the rest of the world.

Kristine is presently composing, recording and co-producing her own music within the soul/R&B genre. This doesn’t mean she is shifting her musical gears; she is, to aptly put it, just broadening her vocal capabilities. And if that is not singing beautifully, then we’d rather not hear music altogether. g

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( Published on December 13, 2008 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A10)