Maria Guleghina (Soprano)
Maria Guleghina is the worlds leading
dramatic soprano. Her performances are invariably rewarded with standing
ovations throughout the world’s foremost opera houses. She has been described as
the “Cinderella from Russia”, “Russian soprano with Verdi flowing through her
veins” and “Vocal Miracle”. She is particularly noted for her interpretation of
the title role in Tosca and Turandot. Her repertoire also includes the title
role in Aida, Manon Lescaut, Norma, Fedora, Adriana Lecouvreur, as well as Lady
Macbeth in Macbeth, Abigaille in Nabucco, Violetta in La Traviata, Leonora in Il
Trovatore, Oberto and La Forza del Destino, Elvira in Ernani, Elisabetta in Don
Carlo, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, and Un Ballo in Maschera, Lucrezia in I due
Foscari, Desdemona in Otello, Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Maddalena in
Andrea Chenier, Lisa in Pique Dame, Odabella in Attila,Gulnara in Il Corsaro,
etc. Maria Guleghina began her professional career at the State Opera in Minsk,
and a year later made her debut in La Scala as Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera
under Maestro Gavazzeni opposite Luciano Pavarotti. Her voice of great power,
warmth, thrust and with immense acting ability made her a permanent and welcome
guest everywhere. At La Scala she has performed in 15 new productions including
Lucrezia in I due Foscari, Tosca, Fedora, Turandot, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth,
Lisa in Pique Dame, Manon Lescaut, Abigaille in Nabucco, Leonora in La Forza del
Destino conducted by Riccardo Muti in Tokyo. She has accompanied La Scala on two
tours to Japan in 1991 and 1999. She also performed two solo recitals at this
legendary theatre.
Since her 1991 debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Maddalena
in a new production of Andrea Chenier opposite Luciano Pavarotti, she has
performed there over 150 times as Tosca, Aida, Norma, Adriana Lecouvreur,
Turandot, Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Abigaille in Nabucco, Lisa in Pique
Dame, Dolly in Sly, Giorgetta in Il Tabarro and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. In 1991
she made her Vienna State Opera debut in Andrea Chenier and has returned to
perform Lisa in Pique Dame, Tosca, Aida, Elvira in Ernani, Lady Macbeth in
Macbeth, Leonora in Il Trovatore and Abigaille in Nabucco. Before her 1995 stage
debut in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden where she performed the title role
in Fedora opposite Placido Domingo, she had already performed in a critically
acclaimed concert performance of Ernani at the Barbican with the Royal Opera
House company. This was followed by a highly successful recital at the Wigmore
Hall. Her other appearances at Covent Garden include Tosca, concert performances
of Andrea Chenier, Odabella in Attila and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. In 1996 Maria
Guleghina’s debut in Arena di Verona was as Abigaille in Nabucco where she was
awarded the “Prize of Giovanni Zanatello” for a sensational debut performer. She
has since performed there on numerous occasions.
In 1997 Maria Guleghina made
her Paris Opera debut with the title role in Tosca and has since been seen in
this theatre as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Abigaille in Nabucco and Odabella in
Attila. Maria Guleghina has performed solo recitals all over the world including
appearances at La Scala, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Lille, Sao Paolo, Wigmore Hall,
Suntory Hall, Mariinsky Theatre, Osaka, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Rome, Teatro Colon,
Teatro Bellas Artes and Moscow to name a few. Many of the productions in which
she has appeared have been broadcast on the radio as well as televised. They
include Tosca, Pique Dame, Andrea Chenier, Sly, Nabucco, Cavalleria Rusticana,
Il Tabarro, Norma, Turandot and Macbeth from the Metropolitan Opera, Tosca,
Manon Lescaut and Un Ballo in Maschera from La Scala, Attila from Paris Opera,
Nabucco from the Vienna State Opera and solo recitals from Japan, Barcelona,
Moscow, Berlin and Leipzig. She has numerously performed with the world’s
leading singers and conductors including Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Leo
Nucci, Renato Bruson, Jose Cura and Samuel Ramey, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Riccardo
Muti, James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Valery Gergiev, Fabio Luisi and Claudio Abbado.
Ms. Guleghina is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards including Puccini
Prize as Best Puccini Performer, 2001 Bellini Prize, Giovanni Zanatello Prize
for her debut at the Arena di Verona, Maria Zamboni gold medal, 1999 gold medal
at the Osaka Festival, the Arte e Operosita nel mondo prize from Milan, etc. For
her social engagement, she has been awarded the Orden of Holy Olga, the Highest
Orden of the Russian Orthodox Church by Patriarch Alexis of Russia. Ms Guleghina
is the honorary board member to the International Paralympic Committee as well
as a Goodwill Ambassador to Unicef. Most recently Mrs Guleghina has been
bestowed the Title of "People's Artist" of North Ossetia and Alania.
©
http://www.mariaguleghina.com
|