Kirstin Maldonado Explained
Kirstin Taylor Maldonado (born May 16, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter. She is known for being a vocalist in the a cappella group Pentatonix. With the group, she has released seven studio albums, won three Grammy Awards, and sold over six million albums.
Maldonado released her debut solo single "Break a Little" on May 19, 2017, under the name Kirstin™ (stylized as kırstın™;™ stands for "Taylor Maldonado").[1] Her first extended play Love (stylized as L O V E) was released on July 14.[2] Maldonado made her Broadway debut in 2018 as Lauren in the musical Kinky Boots.[3]
Early life and education
Kirstin Taylor Maldonado[4] was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 16, 1992.[5] Her mother, Angelica Maldonado, is of Spanish and Italian descent, while her father, Michael Cisneros,[6] is of Mexican descent. She was raised by her mother in Arlington, Texas. She was only five years old when she first expressed her wish to become a singer. At eight years old, she sang at her mother's wedding reception, ultimately convincing her mother to enroll her in voice lessons.[7] She also got into theater and starred in several local productions. It was through the local theater community that Maldonado met Mitch Grassi, a future fellow Pentatonix member.
Maldonado attended Holy Rosary Catholic School, and later Martin High School. At Martin High School, she met Scott Hoying with whom she and Grassi would later form Pentatonix. The three friends created an a cappella trio and started getting attention around their school for their covers of popular songs.[8] [9] She graduated from Martin High School in 2010 and attended the University of Oklahoma, where she studied musical theatre on a full-ride scholarship as a National Hispanic Scholar.[10] During her time in college, she joined Kappa Kappa Gamma.[11] She left before completing her degree to form Pentatonix.[12]
Career
Pentatonix
See main article: Pentatonix. In 2011, Maldonado was contacted by her high school friend Scott Hoying who wanted to put together a group for NBC's a cappella competition The Sing-Off. Maldonado agreed to join the group, which also included Mitch Grassi, another of her high school friends. Together they formed the a cappella group Pentatonix along with Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola. The group entered and eventually won the third season of The Sing-Off.[13] Since then, they have released several albums and EPs, reached 13 million YouTube subscribers and over 2 billion YouTube views, and toured the world.[14] On February 8, 2015, Pentatonix won their first Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for their Daft Punk medley.[15] On February 15, 2016, Pentatonix won their second Grammy in the same category for their rendition of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" which was featured on their holiday album, That's Christmas to Me.[16] On February 12, 2017, Pentatonix won their third Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their cover of "Jolene" which featured Dolly Parton.[17]
Solo projects and appearances
In January 2016, Maldonado performed the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at the World Dog Awards in honor of the dogs who have played the role of Toto from the iconic story about The Wizard of Oz.[18]
In February 2016, the a cappella group Voctave released the video "Disney Love Medley" which featured Maldonado and her then-fiancé Jeremy Lewis. In the video, Maldonado and Lewis perform the songs "I See the Light" from Tangled, "You'll Be in My Heart" from Tarzan and "Go the Distance" from Hercules with the members of Voctave providing the backing vocals.[19] In May 2016, Maldonado, along with Grassi and Hoying, appeared in an episode of Bones.[20]
On May 19, 2017, Maldonado released her first solo single, "Break a Little". Her debut EP, L O V E, was released on July 14, 2017. The EP debuted at #1 on the iTunes Pop Albums Chart.[21] In 2018, Maldonado made her Broadway debut, portraying Lauren in the musical Kinky Boots alongside singer Jake Shears and comedian Wayne Brady:[22] [23]
Personal life
Maldonado met singer and entrepreneur Jeremy Lewis in August 2013 through The Sing-Off, and the two started dating in October of the same year.[24] They got engaged on May 29, 2016, in Paris, France.[25] In 2017, the couple postponed their wedding to work on certain unstated "issues", eventually calling it off in October.[26]
Maldonado is married to freelance filmmaker and photographer Ben Hausdorff.[27] They began dating in 2018, and they worked together on different projects for Pentatonix.[28] In March 2022, Maldonado announced that she and Hausdorff were expecting their first child.[29] Their daughter was born on June 28, 2022.[30] In March 2023, Maldonado revealed that she and Hausdorff were engaged in Japan.[31] Maldonado married Hausdorff in Texas on April 21, 2024.[32]
Discography
- Love (2017) (as kırstın™)
Awards and nominations
Streamy AwardsYear | Category | Work | Result | |
---|
2014 | Best Cover Song | "Daft Punk" | | [39] |
Best Original Song | "Love Again" | | |
Best Musical Artist | Pentatonix | | |
2015 | Best Collaboration | Pentatonix and Lindsey Stirling | | [40] |
Best Cover Song | "Evolution of Michael Jackson" | | | |
Notes and References
- Pentatonix's Kirstin Maldonado Drops First Solo Single 'Break a Little': Listen . Tom . Lauren . . May 19, 2017 . May 20, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170520011303/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7801049/kirstin-maldonado-pentatonix-solo-single-break-a-little . May 20, 2017 . live . mdy-all .
- Web site: Scott. Jason. 2017-07-14. Kirstin Breaks a Little, But Pulls It Together With Triumphant 'LOVE' EP. 2021-05-05. PopCrush. en.
- Web site: See Pentatonix's Kirstin Maldonado Make Her Broadway Debut in Kinky Boots . 2022-03-19 . Playbill . en.
- Web site: Campbell. Kathy. May 30, 2016. Pentatonix Singer Kirstin Maldonado Is Engaged to Jeremy Michael Lewis: See Her Ring. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160705015705/http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/pentatonix-singer-kirstin-maldonado-is-engaged-see-her-ring-w208225. July 5, 2016. July 10, 2016. US magazine. mdy-all.
- Web site: Pentatonix: Everything You Need To Know About The World's Biggest A Cappella Act. Forbes. Zack. O'Malley-Greenburg. January 5, 2016. July 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160827164212/http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2016/01/05/pentatonix-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-worlds-biggest-a-cappella-act/. August 27, 2016. live. mdy-all.
- FirstCommand. First Command. 148795295818448896. December 19, 2011. Congrats Kirstie Maldonado and #Pentatonix, who won NBC's #TheSingOff ! Kirstie is daughter of FC's Michael Cisneros..
- News:
- WCW Kirstie Maldonado inspires as sole female in Pentatonix
. June 24, 2015. The Daily Dot. November 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161119182319/http://www.dailydot.com/upstream/kirstie-maldonado-pentatonix-wcw/. November 19, 2016. live. mdy-all.
- Web site: Biography of Pentatonix. nbc.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20111011142034/http://www.nbc.com/sing-off/contestants/pentatonix/bio. October 11, 2011. August 24, 2016.
- Web site: Malkoff . Amy . An Exclusive Interview With Pentatonix's Scott Hoying . casa.org . August 25, 2012 . November 27, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120912004405/http://www.casa.org/content/exclusive-interview-pentatonixs-scott-hoying . September 12, 2012 . live . mdy-all .
- Web site: 2019-05-06. Pentatonix Official Website. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20190506155239/http://ptxofficial.com/bio. 2019-05-06. 2021-05-05. "Kirstin is a National Hispanic Scholar and was a sophomore Music Theater major at The University of Oklahoma before joining Pentatonix.".
- Web site: The Key Magazine Kappa Kappa Gamma Key Fall 2016. 2021-05-06. thekey.kappa.org. en-US.
- News: Kirstie Maldonado- Interview With Pentatonix' Lead Singer. January 27, 2014. Asian Fusion. November 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161119182353/http://asian-fusion.com/916/interview-with-pentatonix--kirstie-maldonado/. November 19, 2016. live. mdy-all.
- 'The Sing-Off' Finale: Pentatonix Takes The Trophy. Gallo. Phil. November 29, 2011. Billboard. August 25, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20131230013845/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/464941/the-sing-off-finale-pentatonix-takes-the-trophy. December 30, 2013. live. mdy-all.
- Web site: Pentatonix takes home another Grammy; Fort Worth's Kirk Franklin also a winner. Preston. Jone. Star-Telegram. February 15, 2016. July 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160720072745/http://www.star-telegram.com/living/article60586756.html. July 20, 2016. live. mdy-all.
- Web site: Huffington Post: "Grammy Winners List For 2015 Includes Sam Smith, Pharrell, Beyoncé & More" . . February 8, 2015 . May 28, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150209033006/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/08/grammy-winners-list-2015_n_6600948.html . February 9, 2015 . live . mdy-all .
- Web site: Pentatonix Just Scored Their Second Grammy in a Row! . February 15, 2016 . May 28, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170808075156/http://whatstrending.com/creators/21405-pentatonix-wins-second-grammy . August 8, 2017 . live . mdy-all .
- Web site: Dolly Parton and Pentatonix win country duo/roup performance award for 'Jolene' . . May 28, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170705171417/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-grammys-live-updates-dolly-parton-and-pentatonix-win-country-1486939222-htmlstory.html . July 5, 2017 . live . mdy-all .
- Web site: Winners of 'The World Dog Awards'. Springfield. The CW. January 15, 2016. WWLP.com. November 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161119183548/http://wwlp.com/2016/01/14/winners-of-the-world-dog-awards/. November 19, 2016. live. mdy-all.
- News: See Pentatonix's Kirstin Maldonado perform sweet 'Disney Love Medley' with boyfriend. Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. November 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161125035551/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/05/kristin-maldonado-disney-love-medley. November 25, 2016. live. mdy-all.
- Web site: Pentatonix to appear in 'Bones' musical mystery. Star-Telegram. May 16, 2016. July 10, 2016. Robert. Philpot. https://web.archive.org/web/20160629203145/http://www.star-telegram.com/living/article77976747.html. June 29, 2016. live. mdy-all.
- Web site: Kirstin Maldonado's Solo Debut EP L O V E Now Available. 2021-05-05. RCA Records. en.
- Web site: Wayne Brady Will Return to Broadway's Kinky Boots Playbill. Playbill. February 13, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180213221858/http://www.playbill.com/article/wayne-brady-will-return-to-broadways-kinky-boots. February 13, 2018. live. mdy-all.
- Web site: See Pentatonix's Kirstin Maldonado Make Her Broadway Debut in Kinky Boots Playbill. Playbill. February 3, 2018. February 16, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180216204339/https://www.playbill.com/article/see-pentatonixs-kirstin-maldonado-make-her-broadway-debut-in-kinky-boots. February 16, 2018. live. mdy-all.
- Web site: 2016-07-05. Pentatonix Singer Kirstin Maldonado Is Engaged: See Her Ring - Us Weekly. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160705015705/http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/pentatonix-singer-kirstin-maldonado-is-engaged-see-her-ring-w208225. 2016-07-05. 2021-05-05.
- Web site: All the Details on Kirstin Maldonado's Romantic Proposal. 2021-05-05. PEOPLE.com. en.
- News: Split? Pentatonix Singer Kristin Maldonado Calls Off Wedding To Work On 'Issues'. October 10, 2017. Radar Online. January 18, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20171125224421/http://radaronline.com/videos/pentatonix-singer-kristin-maldonado-calls-off-wedding/. November 25, 2017. live. mdy-all.
- Web site: 2021-05-06. kirstin™ on Instagram: "love you love you ❤️". https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/COitQ80nyFY . 2021-12-24 . limited. live. 2021-05-13. www.instagram.com.
- Web site: July 2019. Nick Govoni 17. Ben Hausdorff Shoots Pentatonix and New Kirstin Maldonado Music Videos with Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. 2021-05-13. Broadcasting Cable. July 17, 2019 . en.
- CbRV5huAV2w. kirstin. KTM2 era … ❤️ @hausdo. March 19, 2022. Maldonado, Kirstin.
- Web site: BREAKING: Kirstin Maldonado Of Pentatonix Welcomes First Child With Boyfriend Ben Hausdorff. March 25, 2023. Music Mayhem. July 4, 2022.
- Web site: Pentatonix's Kirstin Maldonado reveals how she told her bandmates she's engaged. March 25, 2023. Jam Broadcasting. March 23, 2023.
- News: Ross. Alex. April 22, 2024. Pentatonix Singer Kirstin Maldonado Marries Ben Hausdorff in Texas Wedding Ceremony: 'This Is It' (Exclusive). People. April 23, 2024.
- Web site: The 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations . . March 22, 2017 . March 22, 2017 . New York City . May 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200503025016/http://cdn.emmyonline.org/day_44th_nominations_v02.pdf . dead .
- News: Grammy Awards Winners. February 8, 2015.
- News: Grammy Awards 2016: See the Full Winners List. December 10, 2016.
- Web site: Dolly Parton and Pentatonix win country duo/roup performance for 'Jolene' . Roberts . Randall . . February 12, 2017 . May 14, 2018 .
- Web site: 2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Nominees List . 2022-11-16 . www.grammy.com.
- Web site: Enos . Morgan . 2024 GRAMMY Nominees of the Year . 2023-11-10 . 2023-11-11 . www.grammy.com.
- News: Streamy Awards Winners. December 10, 2014. December 7, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141207195043/http://www.streamys.org/2014/09/winners-announced-4th-annual-streamy-awards-presented-coca-cola/. dead.
- News: Streamy Awards Winners. August 20, 2015.
- News: Korina . Lopez . November 4, 2013 . YouTube Music Awards winners list . . December 5, 2014 .
- News: YouTube Music Awards winners list . March 27, 2015 .
- News: Pentatonix accepts the Best YouTube Musician Shorty Award . April 20, 2015 .
- News: Top billboard 200 album finalists . April 9, 2015 .
- News: Top billboard 200 artist finalists . April 9, 2015 .
- Web site: Host Blake Shelton, Pentatonix nominated for Nickelodeon's 2016 Kids' Choice Awards. NewsOK.com. February 2, 2016. February 4, 2016.
- Web site: 2017 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. Nickelodeon. February 13, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170205090400/http://kca.nick.tv/vote#cat=Favorite-Music-Group. February 5, 2017. dead. mdy-all.
- Web site: 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards Nominees Revealed! iHeartRadio. iHeartRadio. February 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160210155050/http://news.iheart.com/articles/iheartradio-music-awards-490103/2016-iheartradio-music-awards-nominees-revealed-14362338/. February 10, 2016. dead. mdy-all.
- Web site: Tyler Oakley, Pentatonix, and more lead Webby nominations DailyDot. DailyDot. April 5, 2016. April 5, 2016.