A world-class singer, songwriter and composer, Kristen Toedtman has performed as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Britt Festival Orchestra, Corona del Mar Festival Orchestra, Baltimore Concert Artists and Musica Angelica orchestras at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall and various other venues around the country. In 2019 she had her soloist debut with the LA Phil singing a work by John Adams with the composer at the helm and her Carnegie Hall debut singing a work by Michael Tilson Thomas with MTT conducting. She has shared the stage in small ensemble with the Philip Glass Ensemble, Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Barbra Streisand, Seth McFarlane, John C. Reilly and others. She is a long time singer with the beloved Los Angeles Master Chorale, founding member of the Baltimore Afrobeat Society, and frequent collaborator with singer-songwriters Moira Smiley, Brendan Hines and David Poe.

 

As a bandleader and songwriter, Kristen has played the Bootleg Theater and Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, Pianos and Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, and a variety of venues in between. She has two self-released records of original material, available on all online platforms as well as on her website. She has recorded on the Harmonia Mundi and Decca labels and sung on the soundtracks of Frozen, Minions, Despicable Me 3, Big Hero 6, Godzilla and Star Wars, to name a few. Kristen has worked in close collaboration with artist Lita Albuquerque to compose live soundscapes for various interactive installations and composes music for the theater, most regularly for the annual hit show in Los Angeles, the Very Janky Christmas Spectacular which she music directs. 

 

In addition to her own singing, Kristen is passionate about inspiring others to sing. She served as Music Director for St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Studio City for several years and currently directs the Community Chorus of Peabody in Baltimore which she grew from 15 to over 60 singers and which strives to be a catalyst for healing in the city of Baltimore. She is proud to have worked with Street Symphony and Urban Voices Project (singers who live and work on Skid Row in LA), and to have led over 100 people singing in a waiting room at a health clinic in the Dominican Republic.