 |
Kallen Esperian | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 8, 1961 |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| Occupation | Opera singer |
Kallen Esperian (born June 8, 1961) is an American lyric soprano. She won the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition in 1985 and is best known for her performances in major opera productions.
Kallen Esperian was born on June 8, 1961 [1] in Waukegan, Illinois. [2] She was named after her Armenian grandfather, Kalouste, who escape Armenia from Turkish invasion. [3] Her birth father died of a heart attack when she was eleven months old. [3] [2] After her mother remarried, she moved to Barrington, Illinois. [2] She began ballet lessons when she was three years old and soon picked up voice and piano lessons. [3] Esperian attended Barrington High School, [2] where her choral director suggested she pursue voice in college. [3] She would later go on to win her high school's "1990 Distinguished Graduate Award." [2]
Esperian received a full scholarship to study opera at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. [2] During her freshman year, she performed her first opera, The Magic Flute . [3] While still in college, she was cast in a touring production of The Beggar's Opera by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. [4] Before graduating, she entered the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition and won the competition and a scholarship in 1985. [2] In 1986, she made her debut in Philadelphia as Mimi in La bohème opposite Pavarotti [2] and subsequently appeared in the film Distant Harmony while in China with Pavarotti. Since then she has sung at most of the world's important opera houses, specializing in Italian opera, particularly in Verdi roles.
Esperian has appeared with Pavarotti in his annual concert, Pavarotti Plus, in 1991 at Lincoln Center and in 1995 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. These concerts have been televised and have been released internationally on CD and video. In 1991, she partnered Pavarotti in Verdi's Luisa Miller at the Met and in 1993, she appeared in the Met Gala celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo at the house. She sang Desdemona to Pavarotti's Otello and Leonora in Il trovatore with Pavarotti and Domingo both singing Manrico. [5]
She also sang Cio-Cio-san in Madama Butterfly in 2004, a role she first performed for the Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam in 2002 as well as for New Orleans Opera, Opera Carolina in Charlotte, and the Nashville Opera as well as concerts in Johnstown,[ which? ] Memphis, Tennessee, and Mexico City.
In 2004 and 2005 Esperian sang Cio-Cio-san with the Metropolitan Opera of New York in the fall and winter season's performances of Madama Butterfly.
In 2007, Kallen recorded a CD of rock and jazz classics, which includes a cover of "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin. [6] She also recorded vocals for two songs on the album Aristocrunk , with Memphis rappers Lord T & Eloise.
Esperian has sung at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as Desdemona in Otello and Amelia in Simon Boccanegra . She partnered José Carreras in Stiffelio at the Teatro alla Scala, for their first staging of the opera. She played Desdemona opposite Domingo at the Opéra National de Paris; Mimí at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires; Liú in Turandot , Desdemona, and Alice Ford in Falstaff for the Lyric Opera of Chicago; Desdemona and Maria Stuarda at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna; Verdi's Requiem at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Falstaff for Los Angeles Opera; Aida and Tosca for the Semperoper in Dresden; La Traviata with Opera Memphis, and Norma with both Pittsburgh Opera and Opera Memphis; Manon Lescaut at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, where she has also been heard as Amelia in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera and Elisabetta in Don Carlo , under the baton of Zubin Mehta. She has also sung at the Berlin Staatsoper, the Deutsche Oper, Berlin, and the Arena di Verona.
She has sung the Verdi Requiem with several of the world's great conductors, including Sir Colin Davis, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Robert Shaw, Daniele Gatti, Daniel Oren, Myung-Whun Chung, and David Zinman.
Esperian joined the Opera Orchestra of New York as Desdemona at Carnegie Hall for Carlo Bergonzi's first assumption of the role of Otello at age 75. [7]
Esperian was one of the Three Sopranos produced by Tibor Rudas Theatrical Productions and a soprano counterpart to the Three Tenors. Esperian is the only one of "The Three Sopranos" to have performed individually with each one of the "Three Tenors" in concerts and in opera houses around the world.
In 2011–2012, Esperian held the position of Artist in Residence at the University of Mississippi. Her activities included master classes, classes for voice students and other music students, appearances on campus and off campus, and work with the University of Mississippi Opera Theatre. [8]
Esperian received an honorary doctorate degree from Rhodes College in Memphis. She has received numerous awards, including the Dorothy B. Chandler Award, the Mafalda Favero Award, the Arts and Humanities Award from the Germantown Arts Alliance, the Amphion Award from the Memphis Symphony, 2010 Emissary of Memphis Music, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Memphis. In 2017 Esperian was recipient of the Tennessee Governor's Distinguished Artist Award.
Raised in Illinois, Esperian began ballet lessons at the age of three and piano lessons at the age of ten. Although she always loved to sing, and sang in her school's choruses, she did not begin private voice lessons until after turning sixteen. She attended the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where she earned her bachelor of music degree in vocal performance. Having deep Southern roots, Esperian has lived in Memphis, Tennessee since 1982.
She has given benefit concerts for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, among others.
Renata Tebaldi was an Italian lirico-spinto soprano popular in the post-war period, and especially prominent as one of the stars of La Scala, San Carlo and, especially, the Metropolitan Opera. Often considered among the great opera singers of the 20th century, she focused primarily on the verismo roles of the lyric and dramatic repertoires. Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini called her voice "la voce d'angelo", and La Scala music director Riccardo Muti called her "one of the greatest performers with one of the most extraordinary voices in the field of opera."
Renata Scotto was an Italian soprano, opera director, and voice teacher. Recognised for her sense of style, her musicality, and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered to have been one of the preeminent opera singers of her generation.
Mirella Freni, OMRI was an Italian operatic soprano who had a career of 50 years and appeared at major international opera houses. She received international attention at the Glyndebourne Festival, where she appeared as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni and as Adina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore.
Fiorenza Cedolins is an Italian soprano.
Herva Nelli was an Italian and American operatic soprano.
Carmen Melis was an Italian operatic soprano who had a major international career during the first four decades of the 20th century. She was known, above all, as a verismo soprano, and was one of the most interesting singing actresses of the early 20th century. She made her debut in Novara in 1905 and her career rapidly developed in her native country over the next four years. From 1909 to 1916 she performed with important opera companies in the United States; after which she was busy performing at many of Europe's most important opera houses. From 1917 until her retirement from the stage in 1935 she was particularly active at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome and at La Scala in Milan. After her singing career ended, she embarked on a second career as a voice teacher. Her most notable student was soprano Renata Tebaldi.
Aprile Millo is an American operatic soprano who is known for her interpretations of the works of Giuseppe Verdi. Although she has performed at many of the world's leading opera houses and with many orchestras and ensembles internationally, Millo has spent much of her career appearing in productions at the Metropolitan Opera.
Joan Pons Álvarez is a Spanish operatic baritone, known internationally as Juan Pons. He is most famous for his Verdi roles.
Sylvie Valayre is a French operatic soprano known for her versatile interpretations of lyric, spinto, and dramatic coloratura soprano parts. She sings grueling roles like Abigaille, Lady Macbeth or Turandot as well as lighter pieces like Giordano's Maddalena, Cio-Cio San, or Verdi's Desdemona at major opera houses around the world.
Radmila Bakočević, is a Serbian operatic soprano who had a major international opera career that began in 1955 and ended upon her retirement from the stage in 2004. During her career, she sang at most of the world's important opera houses, including performances throughout Europe, North and South America. She forged important long-term artistic partnerships with two opera houses during her career: the National Theatre in Belgrade and the Vienna State Opera.
Barbara Frittoli is an Italian operatic soprano, specializing in operas by Verdi and Mozart. She has sung leading roles in opera houses throughout Europe and in the United States, such as La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Her signature roles include Mimì in La bohème, the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Desdemona in Otello.
Gabriella Tucci was an Italian operatic soprano who was particularly associated with the Italian repertory and performed at notable opera houses worldwide. She appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in 11 Verdi roles across 13 seasons, including Violetta in La traviata and Desdemona in Otello.
Miriam Gauci is a Maltese operatic soprano, particularly associated with lyric Italian roles.
Gilda Cruz-Romo is a Mexican operatic soprano, particularly associated with dramatic roles of the Italian repertory, notably Aida and Tosca.
Giuliano Ciannella was an Italian operatic tenor who had a major international career from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s. He was notably a regular performer at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1979 through 1986, the Lyric Opera of Chicago between 1982 and 1988, and at the Vienna State Opera from 1985 up until the end of his career. Ciannella mostly performed roles from the Italian repertory, particularly excelling in the operas of Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini.
Natalia Leonidovna Troitskaya was a Russian operatic soprano who had a major international career during the 1980s and early 1990s. She particularly excelled in the operas of Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi. Among her signature roles were Tatyana in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and the title heroines in Verdi's Aida, Puccini's Manon Lescaut, and Puccini's Tosca. She was a frequent partner of Plácido Domingo during the 1980s and also sang opposite other great artists like Montserrat Caballé, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Luciano Pavarotti.
Rita Orlandi-Malaspina was an Italian operatic soprano who had a major international career from the 1960s through the 1980s. She drew particular acclaim for her portrayals of Verdi heroines. She also had a successful career as a concert soprano, particularly in performance of Verdi's Requiem and Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.
Maria di Gerlando was an American operatic soprano and voice teacher who was a leading performer at the New York City Opera from 1953 to 1969. She was best known for creating the role of Carmela in the 1954 world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street.
Dina Kuznetsova is an American lyric dramatic operatic soprano of Russian descent who has appeared in leading roles on the stages of international opera houses from New York to Sydney. She has focused on Italian and Slavic repertoires. Her signature roles include Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly by Puccini, the title role in Dvořák's Rusalka, and Kátya in Kátya Kabanová by Janáček.
Svetla Vassileva is a Bulgarian opera singer (soprano).
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
