Celebrity Opera Series Continues With Elina Garanca At The Broad Stage, 3/3

Broad Stage's 2018 Celebrity Opera Series continues with Elina Garanca, mezzo-soprano with orchestra conducted by Karel Mark Chichon, in An Homage to Spain.

The Celebrity Opera Series is made possible by generous support from The Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation. The Foundation continues to make contributions to strengthen the concert series at The Broad Stage and enrich the cultural life of Los Angeles.

Ms. Garanca will be performing selections from Bizet's Carmen, set in Seville, as well as some of Spain's greatest composers: Ruberto Chapí, Pablo Luna and Gerónimo Giménez.

Few singers attain the stature of Elina Garanca, who over the past decade has emerged as one of opera's brightest stars. The Latvian mezzo-soprano is consistently praised for her iconic portrayals of the leading roles in her repertoire. Forging deep connections with each part she plays, she is a consummate artist whose distinctively dark, sultry voice boasts a power and warmth to which her regal bearing and alluring looks provide the perfect counterpoise. She regularly headlines landmark productions at the world's leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Bavarian State Opera, and Vienna State Opera, where she recently became the youngest female singer to be honored with a Kammersängerin Award.

In a 2010 New York Times Review of Richard Eyre's Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera in which Ms. Garanca played the title role, the writer remarked, "She sings with rich sound, an unerring feel for the nuance and subtext of a phrase, and alluring sensuality. The clarity in her singing makes this Carmen seem intelligent and wily." In 2015, the New York Times added, "There are few voices as sheerly lovely as hers: a smooth, evenly produced instrument, rich but not heavy, with high notes that penetrate without blaring."

During this current season, Ms. Garanca made her debut at Opéra national de Paris as 'Princess Eboli' in their season-opening new production of Don Carlos; and at the Wiener Staatsoper, as 'Dalila' in a new production of Samson et Dalila. She also returned to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in Cavalleria Rusticana, and the Bayerische Staatsoper in Carmen.

In concert, she sings Ravel and Berg with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle; Mahler songs with the Vienna Philharmonic (in Vienna and on tour), and also with Christian Thielemann in Dresden and Salzburg.

Tickets are on sale now at thebroadstage.org or by calling 310-434-3200.

Elina Garanca was born into a musical family in Riga, Latvia. She studied at the Latvian Academy of Music with her mother. She won the Mirjam Helin Singing Competition in 1999 and was a finalist in the 2001 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.

She began her professional career as a resident artist with the Südthüringischer Staatstheater in Meiningen where she appeared in many leading roles. She later appeared as a resident artist with Oper Frankfurt.

Since then, Ms. Garanca has established herself as one of the music world's major stars through her performances with leading opera companies and symphony orchestras around the world. She has captured critical and popular acclaim for her beautiful voice, intelligent musicianship, and compelling stage portrayals.

In September 2005 Ms. Garanca became an exclusive artist with Deutsche Grammophon (DG). Her first solo recording Aria Cantilena was released in March 2007 to great popular and critical acclaim. Her last two albums have also both won an ECHO Klassik award, in 2012 (Romantique) and most recently in 2015 (Meditation). Her most recent album Revive was released in late 2016 and was unanimously praised by the critics: "a thrilling disc, rich in a sumptuous quality" (The Telegraph).

Recent highlights include a critically acclaimed new production of La Favorite at Bayerische Staatsoper (recently released on DVD by DG). She also starred in a new production of Der Rosenkavalier at the Metropolitan Opera, broadcast in cinemas worldwide. Ms. Garanca has been the recipient of many awards: Musical America's 'Vocalist of the Year' 2010; MIDEM's 'Singer of the Year' 2007 and the ECHO Klassick award for 'Female Singer of the Year,' that same year. She has also given numerous gala concerts and recitals across the world, including the Verdi Requiem from Teatro alla Scala with Daniel Barenboim, Anja Harteros, Jonas Kaufmann and René Pape (also released as CD/DVD on Decca) and regular recitals at Carnegie Hall in New York and Wigmore Hall in London.

In May 2013, Ms. Garanca was honoured by the Weiner Staatsoper with the title of 'Kammersängerin'. One of the youngest recipients of the Award, Ms. Garanca was honored for her devotion to the House, singing over one hundred and forty performances of eighteen roles since her debut in the House in 2003, beginning with the small role of Lola, and now the House's reigning Carmen, Sesto, Giovanna Seymour, Charlotte and Octavian.

About Karel Mark Chichon, Conductor

British conductor Karel Mark Chichon continues to thrill international audiences with his temperament, passion and musicianship. In recognition to his services to music, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England made Chichon an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in June 2012. In 2016 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of his achievements within the profession.

Born in London in 1971, Chichon hails from Gibraltar. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music (London) and was assistant conductor to Giuseppe Sinopoli and Valery Gergiev.

From 2011 to 2017 he was Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, enjoying critically acclaimed seasons and receiving praise for his profound interpretation of a wide repertoire and transformative music-making with the DRP. A further testament to his outstanding partnership with the DRP has been the unanimous critical success of the first album release of the complete orchestral works of Dvorák - a cycle which he will record over the next 4 years for the label Hänssler Classic. Critics said "Karel Mark Chichon scores significantly over several esteemed rivals" and praised this first release as "the finest version available".

In May 2017 he was appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria.

His previous positions include Chief Conductor & Artistic Director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (2009-2012) and Chief Conductor of the Graz Symphony Orchestra (2006-2009).

Chichon conducts at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerisches Staatsoper Munich, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Real Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona and with orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Wiener Symphoniker, Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orchestre National de Belgique, Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo and Russian National Orchestra.

He performs at venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Musikverein Vienna, Konzerthaus Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Royal Festival Hall London, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Paris, Munich Philharmonie, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Alter Oper Frankfurt, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Auditorio Nacional de Musica Madrid and Seoul Arts Center South Korea.

In early 2016 he made a highly acclaimed debut at the Metropolitan Opera New York with Madama Butterfly, which included one broadcast live on HD in 2,000 cinemas in 66 countries throughout the world. He returns to the Metropolitan Opera in 2019.

From 2006 to 2010 he was Music Director of the "Christmas in Vienna" concerts held yearly at the Konzerthaus in Vienna and broadcast on Television to millions of viewers all over the world.

He is also a regular Deutsche Grammophon recording artist, having recently recorded two CD's for the renowned record label.

Program
Prelude to La Revoltosa.....................................................R. Chapí (1851-1909)
Canción de Paloma from El Barberillo de Lavapiés.......... F.A. Barbieri (1823-1894)
Intermezzo from La leyenda del bes..................................R. Soutoullo (1880-1932) & J. Vert (1890-1931)
Romanza de Socorro from El barquillero...........................R. Chapí
Canción Española from El niño judio.................................P. Luna (1879-1942)
Intermezzo from La boda de Luis Alonso..........................G. Giménez (1854-1923)
Carceleras from Las Hijas del Zebedeo.............................R. Chapí

Intermission

Three pasodobles from Spain
España Cañí...........P. Marquina (1873-1948)
Gerona....................S. Lope (1871-1906)
El Gato Montés.......M. Panella (1880-1939)

Selections from Carmen..............................G. Bizet (1838-1975)
L'amour est un enfant de bohème (Act I - First version)
Prélude (Act I)
Habanera (Act I)
Entr'acte (Act III)
Séguedille (Act I)
Entr'acte (Act IV)
En vain, pour éviter (Act III)
Entr'acte (Act II)
Chanson bohème (Act II)

To post a comment, you must register and login.