Elīna Garanča Explained

Elīna Garanča
Birth Date:16 September 1976
Birth Place:Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
Occupation:Opera singer
Years Active:1998–present
Spouse:Karel Mark Chichon
Children:2
Mother:Anita Garanča

Elīna Garanča (born 16 September 1976) is a Latvian mezzo-soprano. She began to study singing in her hometown of Riga in 1996 and continued her studies in Vienna and in the United States. By 1999 she had won first place in the Mirjam Helin Singing Competition in Helsinki and had begun a career in Europe. Worldwide engagements followed her 2003 Salzburg Festival appearances.

Early life and education

Elīna Garanča was born in the Latvian city of Riga into a musical family: her father was a choral director, and her mother Anita was a lieder singer,[1] [2] [3] a professor at the Latvian Academy of Music, an associate professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture, a vocal music teacher at the Latvian National Opera, and also a private voice tutor.[4] [5]

Career in opera

She entered the Latvian Academy of Music in 1996 to study singing with Sergej Martinov. She continued her studies in Vienna with Irina Gavrilovich and in the United States with Virginia Zeani. Garanča began her professional career at the Meiningen Court Theatre, Meiningen, Germany in 1998,[6] and later worked at the Frankfurt Opera. In 1999, she won the Mirjam Helin Singing Competition in Helsinki, Finland.[7]

Garanča's international breakthrough came in 2003 at the Salzburg Festival when she sang Annio in a production of Mozart's La clemenza di Tito, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Major engagements followed quickly, such as Charlotte in Werther, Dorabella in Così fan tutte at the Vienna State Opera (2004) and Dorabella in a Paris production directed by Patrice Chéreau (2005). In 2006, she returned to La clemenza di Tito, this time singing the part of Sesto. On 12 January 2008 Garanča made her company and house debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, in the role of Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia.[8] Of her debut, Bernard Holland wrote in The New York Times: "Ms. Garanca is the real thing ... Modern singing techniques adapt with difficulty to Rossini's early-19th-century emphasis on speed, lightness and athletic articulation, and Ms. Garanca was the only one onstage sounding completely comfortable. The lyric passages sang out; the episodes of racecourse delivery were fully in hand".[9] Garanča sang the leading role of Georges Bizet's Carmen in the 2010 and 2015 productions of the Metropolitan Opera. In the opening concert of the 2011 Rheingau Musik Festival in the Eberbach Abbey she performed Alban Berg's Sieben frühe Lieder with the hr-Sinfonieorchester, conducted by Paavo Järvi.[10]

In May 2018 Garanča made her stage role debut as Dalila in Camille Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila at the Vienna State Opera conducted by Marco Armiliato.[11] In 2018, she appeared in the Metropolitan Opera's performance of that opera.[12]

Personal life

Garanča is married to the conductor Karel Mark Chichon, and they have two daughters.[13] She is fluent in Latvian, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, and English.

Awards and honours

Repertoire

Garanča's repertoire includes:[5] [26]

Year (debut)ComposerOperaRole(s)Location
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartLa clemenza di TitoAnnio
Pietro MascagniCavalleria rusticanaLola
Pietro MascagniCavalleria rusticanaSantuzza
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartLe nozze di FigaroCherubino
Richard StraussDer RosenkavalierOctavian
Jules MassenetWertherCharlotte
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartCosì fan tutteDorabella
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartLa clemenza di TitoSesto
Gioachino RossiniThe Barber of SevilleRosina
Gioachino RossiniLa CenerentolaAngelina
2010Georges BizetCarmenCarmenMetropolitan Opera
Vincenzo BelliniI Capuleti e i MontecchiRomeo
2011Gaetano DonizettiAnna BolenaGiovanna SeymourWiener Staatsoper
2016Gaetano DonizettiRoberto DevereuxSaraMetropolitan Opera
Gaetano DonizettiLa favoriteLéonor de Guzman
Hector BerliozLes TroyensDidon
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartDon GiovanniDonna Elvira
Jules MassenetLa NavarraiseAnita
Johann StraussDie FledermausOrlofsky
Jacques OffenbachContes d'HoffmannNicklausse
Vincenzo BelliniNormaAdalgisa
Giuseppe VerdiDon CarlosEboli
Giuseppe VerdiFalstaffMeg Page
Hector BerliozLa damnation de FaustMarguerite
2018Camille Saint-SaënsSamson et DalilaDalilaVienna State Opera
2021Richard WagnerParsifalKundryVienna State Opera

Recordings

Her recordings include the Grammy Award winning Bajazet conducted by Fabio Biondi, in which she sang the role of Andronicus. In 2005, Garanča signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon.

Other audio recordings include:

DVD recordings include:

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Gurewitsch, Matthew . June 28, 2009 . A Mezzo Kicks Up Her Heels in High Style . . https://web.archive.org/web/20130624145109/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/arts/music/28gure.html . 2010-06-27 . 2013-06-24 . live.
  2. News: Loomis, George . January 10, 2008 . Opera's Switch Hitter . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608150802/http://www.nysun.com/arts/operas-switch-hitter/69271/ . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . live.
  3. Web site: Elina Garanca – Biography . Deutsche Grammophon . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608151224/http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artist/ . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . live.
  4. Web site: Kuusisaari, Harri . July 22, 2009 . Latvian blonde is eager to alter her image . https://web.archive.org/web/20120426005546/http://www.mirjamhelin.fi/default.asp?docId=16766 . The Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition . Finnish Cultural Foundation . 2012-04-26 . dead.
  5. Web site: Anita Garanča's website . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608151415/http://anita.garanca.info/en/ . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . dead.
  6. Web site: Theurich . Werner . Sopranistin Elina Garanca: Coole Diva, kesser Charme . spiegel.de . 10 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131220081431/http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/sopranistin-elina-garanca-coole-diva-kesser-charme-a-475458.html . 20 December 2013 . de-DE . 3 April 2007.
  7. Web site: Laureates and Jury 1999. The Mirjam Helin Competition. 25 March 2019.
  8. Web site: Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia . https://web.archive.org/web/20080129163618/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/operaon3/pip/cz8v5/ . BBC . 26 January 2008 . 2008-01-29 . 2014-03-18 . live.
  9. News: Holland, Bernard. Bernard Holland. January 14, 2008. Barreling Through Rossini With a Noises Off Rhythm. https://web.archive.org/web/20131218184155/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/arts/music/14barb.html?ref=music&pagewanted=all. The New York Times. 2008-01-14. 2013-12-18. live.
  10. Web site: Magische Momente . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608152409/http://www.op-online.de/film-tv-musik/magische-momente-1297759.html . Klaus Ackermann . op-online.de . 27 June 2011 . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . de . live.
  11. News: Samson, Dalila und eine Badewanne – grandios gescheiterte Neuinszenierung in Wien. Samson, Dalila and a bathtub – a terrific failed new production in Vienna. 12 May 2018. Charles E.. Ritterband. Klassik begeistert. de.
  12. News: Samson et Dalila. 20 Oct 2018.
  13. Web site: 20 May 2015 . Elina Garanča: a singer is like a sportsman . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608172856/http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/48thannualgmaclassical/a/48gmaoperaalbum.htm . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . LRT.
  14. Web site: Where are they now? Previous winners . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608152629/http://mirjamhelin.fi/en/content/where-are-they-now-previous-winners . Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition . Veikko Ylikojola . 2016-06-08 . 8 June 2016 . dead .
  15. Web site: Latvia: Elina Garanca . https://web.archive.org/web/20110622140438/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/cardiffsinger/sites/2001/pages/latvia.shtml . BBC Cardiff Singer of the World . 1 July 2001 . 2016-06-08 . 2011-06-22 . live.
  16. Web site: 48th Annual Grammy Awards: Classical Music . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608010101/http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/48thannualgmaclassical/a/48gmaoperaalbum.htm. About.com . Aaron Green . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . dead.
  17. Web site: Alle Preisträger . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608153127/http://www.europaeische-kulturstiftung.com/alle_preistr.php . Die Europäische Kulturstiftung Pro Europa . de . 2016-06-08 . 8 June 2016 . dead.
  18. Web site: Opera star Elina Garanca wins award for "Romantique" . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608153247/http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/baltic_news/?doc=11699 . The Baltic Course . 27 August 2013 . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . live.
  19. Web site: Magazine "Musical America" names Elīna Garanča Vocalist of the Year . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608153400/http://www.bestriga.com/en/page/expanded/article/373/Magazine-%22Musical-America%22-names-Elina-Garanca-Vocalist-of-the-Year . Bestriga . 16 November 2009 . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . live.
  20. Web site: Elīna Garanča gewinnt MIDEM Classical Award . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608153521/http://www.klassikakzente.de/news/klassik/article%3A82776/elae-na-garanae-a-gewinnt-midem-classical-award . KlassiKAkzente . de . 25 November 2009 . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . live.
  21. Web site: Verleihung des Titels "Österreichische Kammersängerin" an Elina Garanca . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608153700/http://www.klassikakzente.de/news/klassik/article%3A222350/verleihung-des-titels------sterreichische-kammers--ngerin----an-elina-garanca . KlassiKAkzente . de . 23 May 2013 . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . live.
  22. Web site: Solo Recording of the Year/Voice (Duets/opera arias) . https://web.archive.org/web/20130819025542/http://www.echoklassik.de/en/klassik-solistische-einspielung-gesang-duette-opernarien2013/ . Echo Klassik . 19 August 2013 . dead. 18 March 2014 .
  23. Web site: Echo Klassik – Preisträger 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150909041827/http://www.echoklassik.de/en/klassik-solistische-einspielung-des-jahres-gesang-arien-rezitale/. Echo Klassik. de. 2015-09-09. dead.
  24. News: Par "Gada rīdzinieku" kļuvusi operdziedātāja Elīna Garanča. Elina Garanča, the opera singer, has become the "Rigans of the Year". 18 November 2018. lv. LA.lv.
  25. News: eng.lsm.lv . Latvian Excellence Award in Culture goes to Garanča, Laudere, Lancmanis . 9 December 2019 . . 29 November 2019.
  26. Web site: Elina Garanca . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608153910/http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Content.Node/home/kuenstler/saengerinnen/Garanca.en.php . Wiener Staatsoper . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . live.
  27. Web site: Elina Garanca: We mezzos get to have such fun . https://web.archive.org/web/20160608154910/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/9568889/Elina-Garanca-We-mezzos-get-to-have-such-fun.html . The Telegraph . Rupert. Christiansen. Rupert Christiansen . 26 September 2012 . Christiansen states "on the showing she makes in her new album, Romantique, I would go further and claim that in her repertory, there has been no one to touch her since the Olga Borodina of 20 years ago." . 2016-06-08 . 2016-06-08 . live.

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