Aile Asszonyi | |
|---|---|
 Asszonyi in 2012 | |
| Born | 22 July 1975 Väike-Maarja, Estonia |
| Education | Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre |
| Occupation | Operatic soprano |
| Awards |
|
Aile Asszonyi (born 22 July 1975) is an Estonian soprano who has made an international career, known for dramatic roles such as Puccini's Turandot, Wagner's Senta and Elektra by Richard Strauss.
Asszonyi was born on 22 July 1975. Her mother Aino Asszonyi was an architect. Her maternal grandfather John Pori was a renowned orchestra leader and dance musician. [1] [2] She studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn with Matti Pelo and Helin Kapten, graduating in 2002. [2] She studied further at the studio of the Dutch National Opera from 2002 to 2004, [2] and the Carlo Bergonzi Accademia Verdiana in Busseto. [2] [3] She won the Prix des Donateurs at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels [3] in 2004. [4]
Asszonyi first sang in the Philharmonic Chamber Choir in Estonia. She made her stage debut in 2000 as Despina in Mozart's Così fan tutte at the Theater Vanemuine in Tartu. She participated in the world premieres of Isidora Žebeljan's operas Zora D and Dve glave i devojka. She was a member of the Estonian National Opera from 2010. [2] Her roles include Haydn's Armida, Mozart's Fiordiligi, both Donna Anna and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni , Adina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore , Verdi's Violetta and Giovanna d'Arco. [2] [5] She then ventured into more dramatic roles such as the title role in Beethoven's Fidelio , and both Elisabeth and Venus in Wagner's Tannhäuser . [3] In Europe, she performed the roles of the Mother in Dallapiccola's Il prigioniero at the Oper Graz [3] in 2016, [5] Prothoe in Schoeck's Penthesilea at the Oper Bonn, and Abigaille in Verdi's Nabucco at Theater Regensburg. She appeared as Fata Morgana in Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges at Theater Koblenz, as both Wagner's Isolde and Puccini's Turandot at the Staatstheater Saarbrücken, and as Senta in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer with De Nederlandse Reiseoper. She has sung with conductors such Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi and Dirk Kaftan and with directors such as Dmitry Bertman, Michiel Dijkema, Stefan Herheim, Roman Hovenbitzer, Tobias Kratzer, Peter Konwitschny, David Pountney, Daniel Slater, Nicola Raab and Andrejs Žagars. [3] [5]
In 2023 Asszonyi appeared in the title role of Elektra by Richard Strauss at the Oper Frankfurt, [3] directed by Claus Guth and conducted by Sebastian Weigle. A reviewer noted that she was convincing from the beginning by both a "energetic voluminous high dramatic voice" and by stage presence, acting as a traumatised woman close to madness. [6] Jan Brachmann from the FAZ experienced her as identifying with her character, and portraying in her monologue a woman with an unrealised capacity to love. [7]
She took part in the world premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's oratorio Über Liebe und Hass / About Love and Hate both in Tallinn and at the Olavsdagene Festival in Trondheim. [3] [8]
Asszonyi was named best musician of the year 2007 by the Estonian Music Council, and was awarded the annual Estonian Theatre Award for the best operatic performance in 2009. [2]
Leopoldine Rysanek was an Austrian dramatic soprano.
Dame Gwyneth Jones is a Welsh dramatic soprano, widely regarded as one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos in the second half of the 20th century.
Andrea Gruber is an American dramatic soprano particularly admired for her interpretations of the works of Puccini, Verdi, and Wagner.
Ingrid Kristine Bjoner Pierpoint was a Norwegian soprano who had an international opera career between 1956 and 1990. She was particularly celebrated for her portrayal of Wagnerian heroines and for her performances in operas by Richard Strauss. In addition to performing in operas, Bjoner was an active concert soloist and recital performer throughout her career.
Alessandra Marc, born Judith Borden is an American dramatic soprano who has appeared at many of the world's opera houses and orchestras. Marc is particularly known for her interpretations of the works of Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi, music of the Second Viennese School, and the title role in Puccini's Turandot.
Éva Marton is a Hungarian dramatic soprano, particularly known for her operatic portrayals of Puccini's Turandot and Tosca, and Wagnerian roles.
A dramatic soprano is a type of operatic soprano with a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over, or cut through, a full orchestra. Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually (but not always) mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained, fuller sound. Usually this voice has a lower tessitura than other sopranos, and a darker timbre. They are often used for heroic, often long-suffering, tragic women of opera. Dramatic sopranos have a range from approximately low A (A3) to "high C" (C6). Some dramatic sopranos, known as Wagnerian sopranos, have an exceptionally big voice that can assert itself over a large orchestra (of more than 80 or even 100 players). These voices are substantial, often denser in tone, extremely powerful and, ideally, evenly balanced throughout the vocal registers. Wagnerian sopranos usually play mythic heroines. Successful Wagnerian sopranos are rare and often Wagnerian roles are performed by Italianate dramatic sopranos.
Susan Owen is an American operatic soprano. Born in Salisbury, North Carolina, she earned a Bachelor of Music degree from East Carolina University in 1980 and a Master of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1983. In 1990 she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. From 1995 to 1999 she was a member of the Staatstheater Kassel, Intendant Michael Leinert. From 1999 to 2002 she was a member of the Staatstheater Darmstadt with Mark Albrecht.
Eva Johansson is a Danish operatic soprano.
Jennifer Wilson is an American soprano known especially for her Wagnerian opera roles. She is the daughter of Newton Wilson and Katherine Still. The daughter, granddaughter and niece of professional singers, instrumentalists and music educators, Wilson grew up steeped in music from opera and oratorio to rock 'n' roll and bluegrass. She began tap dance lessons at age 3, ballet at 8, piano at 10, and solo classical singing at 12. Wilson attended Cornell University for several years, eventually departing on a leave of absence which she filled with advanced training in acting, languages, and vocal studies with former Metropolitan Opera coloratura soprano Marilyn Cotlow. During this time, Wilson supported herself as a news bureau assistant and wire editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The consolidation of US international broadcast services in 1995 caused Wilson to lose her position with RFE/RL, forcing her to find other employment. At this point she took up singing full-time, though her breakthrough to the elusive ranks of international soloist was still several years away.
Catherine Foster is an English operatic soprano, who has appeared internationally, mostly in European opera houses. Her repertoire has focused on dramatic soprano roles in stage works by Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner, such as the title role of Elektra, and Brünnhilde in Der Ring des Nibelungen, a role which she performed at the Bayreuth Festival in 2013 for Wagner's bicentenary.
Ursula Schröder-Feinen was a German operatic dramatic soprano who performed internationally, including at the Metropolitan Opera and the Bayreuth Festival.
Evelyn Herlitzius is a German opera singer, a dramatic soprano. She is known for performing major roles in works by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, such as Brünnhilde, Isolde and Elektra, at the Semperoper, the Bayreuth Festival and leading European opera houses.
Astrid Schirmer is a German operatic soprano and an academic teacher. She sang mostly dramatic parts at major German opera houses and appeared at the Bayreuth Festival.
Heather Engebretson is a Chinese-American operatic soprano who made a career mostly in Europe. Based at German opera ensembles for several years, she has worked freelance from 2017, and widened her repertoire from coloratura roles to leading characters such as Puccini's Madama Butterfly. She has been praised for her convincing acting as well as the expressiveness of her lyric voice, with performances including the Royal Opera House in London, the Bolshoi Theatre and Oper Frankfurt.
Asmik Grigorian is a Lithuanian operatic soprano.
Ingrid Haubold is a German operatic soprano. After beginning her career in Munich and continuing with German companies, she moved on to major international opera houses, appearing as Isolde in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 1986, as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, and in the title role of Beethoven's Fidelio at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
Ute Vinzing is a German dramatic soprano who received the title Kammersängerin. She is known for roles such as Wagner's Brünnhilde, Isolde, Ortrud and Kundry, and for Elektra and the Dyer's Wife by Richard Strauss, which she performed internationally.
Erna Schlüter was a German operatic dramatic soprano and voice teacher. Beginning as a contralto at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater in 1922, she moved to the Nationaltheater Mannheim in 1925 where her voice developed to dramatic soprano, to the Stadttheater Düsseldorf in 1930 where she appeared in 1933 in the world premiere of Winfried Zillig's Der Rossknecht and was awarded the title Kammersängerin. Her last station, from 1940, was the Hamburg State Opera.
Amber Wagner is an American soprano who has performed internationally to critical acclaim. She has often performed in the operas of composer Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
