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Rainelle Krause, a coloratura soprano who went viral for singing a signature aria while hanging upside down from aerial silks, has died after a short hospitalization, her family announced \u201cwith immense sadness\u201d Tuesday on social media. She was 37.<\/p>\n
\u201cRainelle was a force in our lives, a brilliant talent defined by grit, fearlessness, curiosity, intelligence, integrity, and resilience,\u201d the family said in a statement on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cOnstage, her voice matched the breathtaking power of her spirit. Offstage, she was a loving, caring soul whose vibrant energy lit up everyone around her. Our hearts are full from the years we shared, even as we\u2019re shocked that her skyrocketing career was cut short.\u201d<\/p>\n The family gave no further details about the circumstances of her death but said they were grateful to have Krause\u2019s \u201cpreserved performances\u201d to revisit. They said they would be planning a celebration of life \u201cat a later date\u201d but wanted to share the sad news now with friends and fans. <\/p>\n \u201cRainelle always gave her very best, pouring her heart into her art and those she loved,\u201d the family said. \u201cThe best way we can honor her memory is by living her values every day. We encourage you to keep her memory alive by sharing her beautiful performances.\u201d<\/p>\n Krause, whose website dubbed the Queen of the Night in \u201cThe Magic Flute\u201d as her signature role, debuted in that role at the Metropolitan Opera over the holidays. She did the same last fall at Opera Atelier in Toronto. <\/p>\n \u201cAlthough we knew Rainelle for only a matter of months, we will never forget her astonishing talent. We were awed by her bravery and daring and deeply moved by her willingness to draw all of us into her circle of friends,\u201d Opera Atelier said Wednesday on social media. \u201cBeautiful, generous, talented and kind, Rainelle is irreplaceable and will always hold a unique place in our memories.\u201d<\/p>\n Born in Florida, Krause graduated from Indiana University\u2019s Jacobs School of Music with a bachelor\u2019s in music and a master\u2019s degree in music in vocal performance. The English National Opera<\/a> said she trained with the Sankt Goar International Music Festival and Academy in Germany, the OperaWorks Advanced Artist Program in Los Angeles, Opera Las Vegas, the Taos Opera Institute and Opera Nova Costa Rica.<\/p>\n She performed with opera companies in Nashville and Atlanta, and in Texas she sang with the Dallas Opera, with symphony orchestras in Irving and Plano, and with a master chorale in Amarillo. She was set to debut with the Santa Fe Opera in May. <\/p>\n Internationally, Krause\u2019s \u201cThe Magic Flute\u201d performances included gigs in Berlin, Copenhagen and elsewhere. Roles outside of the Queen of the Night included the title role in \u201cLucia di Lammermoor,\u201d the princess in \u201cThe Snow Queen,\u201d Zerlina in \u201cDon Giovanni\u201d and Pat Nixon in \u201cNixon in China.\u201d<\/p>\n As for her viral acrobatic performances, those appeared to have been on hold in the year before her death. <\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t even begin to express how much I miss aerial work,\u201d Krause wrote last March on social media<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve been dealing with horrendous shoulder impingement for months, I\u2019ve been in physical therapy since last summer, I\u2019m continuously learning new ways to attempt to build strength and fluency in order to support my VERY hypermobile joints.<\/p>\n \u201cI am in pain most days,\u201d she continued. \u201cBut I\u2019m not giving up, I\u2019m seeing incremental improvements, and I will fly again \u2014 this time working in concert with the body I have, instead of forcing myself to \u2018just put in the work\u2019 with all the wrong pathways.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n