Bethany Jelinek

Soprano Bethany Jelinek eagerly returns to Kansas City as a 2026–2027 resident artist. During her residency in the 2024–2025 season, she made her mainstage debut as Diana in Cruzar la Cara de la Luna and performed in the chorus of Turandot. Jelinek performed with the Lyric Opera Learning Department across the Kansas City area as Querulous String in The Haberdasher Prince and sang the role of Maya in the world premiere of Maya and the Magic Ring. Most recently, she served as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Minot Symphony Orchestra. In competition, Jelinek was a national semifinalist in the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, the third-place winner of the inaugural Heartland Sings Vocal Competition, and the Jonathan Pell People’s Choice Award Winner in the 2023 Dallas Opera Guild Biennial Lone Star Vocal Competition. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in vocal performance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.