Lana Kains

For Darwin-born soprano Lana Kains, music has always been a part of her life. One of her formative memories is singing along to a performance of Orff’s Carmina Burana in which both her parents were participating.

By the age of four Lana was singing in choir and at ten she had started private lessons in voice and trumpet. She grew up backstage at the Darwin Entertainment Centre, where her mother performed as a French horn player with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra. Some of her first performances were as a soloist at Darwin Carols by Candlelight, and as “the boy” in the premiere of Wind Rose with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra. Her first encounter with opera also came about in Darwin, singing in the children’s chorus for Opera Australia’s touring production of La Bohème.

It was after moving to Tasmania that Lana made the decision to seriously pursue classical voice. Inspired by Julia Lezhneva’s 2014 performance with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and encouraged by her singing teacher, Lana entered the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music through its High Achiever program. She later transferred and completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in opera at the Sydney Conservatorium under the guidance of Maree Ryan.

Lana has gone on to work with some of Australia’s leading ensembles including Opera Australia, Pinchgut Opera, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Gondwana Choirs, Festival of Voices and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic; she is rapidly establishing herself as a compelling and versatile performer with a warm and enthusiastic presence on and off the stage.

She also celebrates the musical culture she inherits from her paternal Latvian family and can often be seen performing at events for the Tasmanian and Sydney Latvian communities.

When not performing or practicing, Lana enjoys reading, hiking, and lying on the floor trying to entice affection from her recalcitrant rabbits.

Experience

Ensemble – Turandot (2026) – Opera Australia
Semi-chorus (cover) – Hamlet (2024) – Opera Australia
Ensemble – Theodora (2024) – Pinchgut Opera
Ensemble – Athalia (2018) – Pinchgut Opera