Kim Witman

As the Director of the Wolf Trap Opera Company, Kim Pensinger Witman is an important force in shaping the next generation of classical vocal talent in the U.S.

A pianist turned arts administrator, she became Director of Wolf Trap Opera and Classical Programming for the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts in 1997. During her tenure, she has produced over 50 operatic productions ranging from undiscovered baroque gems to commissioned world premieres. Under her direction, the Company earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Opera Recording in 2009, for a live performance CD of John Musto’s Volpone.

For twenty years, Kim has traveled the country, identifying the brightest talent for the Filene Young Artist Program at Wolf Trap, hearing almost ten thousand auditions in the process. Sought after for her expertise by many organizations across the country, Kim is a frequent adjudicator for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

A talented pianist, Kim has accompanied many Wolf Trap Opera alumni in concert, including Alan Held, Kate Lindsey, and Nathan Gunn, among others. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Phillips Collection, the White House, and at New York’s Merkin Hall.

Kim lives in Vienna, Virginia with her husband, a music educator for Fairfax County Public Schools. Her daughter is Manager of Meetings and Operations for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, and her son is a Software Development Engineer for Microsoft. She also writes regularly at www.wolftrapopera.org/blog.