Laura Aikin | |
---|---|
Born | Buffalo, New York, U.S. | June 20, 1964
Education | |
Occupation |
|
Organizations | Staatsoper Unter den Linden |
Laura Aikin (born June 20, 1964) is an American operatic coloratura soprano. [1] She is noted for her portrayal of the title character in Lulu , which has received very positive reviews in the press. [2] [3] [4] She has also appeared as Mozart's Queen of the Night, Zerbinetta by Richard Strauss and in contemporary opera at international opera houses and festivals.
Born in Buffalo, New York, [5] Aikin is the daughter of a metal worker and a housewife, growing up together with four sisters in modest circumstances. At the age of 15 she experienced an opera on stage for the first time. She first studied art at the State University of New York in Buffalo, [5] and then music at Indiana University Bloomington, as well as on a German Academic Exchange Service scholarship with Reri Grist at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. [5] [6]
In 1991, Aikin made her debut at an opera gala in Berlin. [7] From 1992 to 1998 she was a member of the ensemble of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin where she performed more than 300 times. [5] Her roles there included the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte , Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss, Sophie in his Der Rosenkavalier and the title role in Alban Berg's Lulu . [5]
In 1995, she first appeared at the Vienna State Opera, as Olympia in Offenbach's Hoffmanns Erzählungen , [5] where she also appeared as Zerbinetta, Sophie, Arminta in Die schweigsame Frau , the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Adele in Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss, and Emilia Marty in Janáček's The Makropulos Affair . [7] Also in 1995, she performed at the Salzburg Festival in a choral concert in the Mozarteum, and returned for many opera performances, [8] as both Blonde and Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail , the Queen of the Night, Badi'at in the world premiere of Henze's L'Upupa und der Triumph der Sohnesliebe , Marilyn in Robin de Raaff's Waiting for Miss Monroe, Marie in Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten and in Birtwistle's Gawain . [7]
Aikin has appeared as a guest at major European opera houses, including the Dutch National Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, Opéra Bastille in Paris, Opéra de Lyon, Semperoper in Dresden, Oper Frankfurt, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Zürich Opera House, at the festival Maggio Musicale in Florence, Teatro San Carlo in Naples and at the Liceu in Barcelona. In the United States, she first appeared at the Met as the Queen of the Night in 1998/99. [5] She took part in the world premiere of Salvatore Sciarrino's Ti vedo, ti sento, mi perdo at La Scala in Milan, [8] in the role of the Sängerin. The opera was co-produced with the Staatsoper Berlin, where it was first performed in July 2018. [9] Aikin is acknowledged for her vocal range of three octaves, acting talent and stage presence. [10]
Edita Gruberová was a Slovak coloratura soprano. She made her stage debut in Bratislava in 1968 as Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, and successfully auditioned at the Vienna State Opera the following year, which became her base. She received international recognition for roles such as Mozart's Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss.
Anja Silja Regina Langwagen is a German soprano singer.
Harry Alfred Robert Kupfer was a German opera director and academic. A long-time director at the Komische Oper Berlin, he worked at major opera houses and at festivals internationally. Trained by Walter Felsenstein, he worked in the tradition of realistic directing. At the Bayreuth Festival, he staged Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer in 1978 and Der Ring des Nibelungen in 1988. At the Salzburg Festival, he directed the premiere of Penderecki's Die schwarze Maske in 1986 and Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss in 2014.
Reri Grist is an American coloratura soprano, one of the pioneer African-American singers to enjoy a major international career in opera.
Ruth Berghaus was a German choreographer, opera and theatre director, and artistic director.
L'Upupa und der Triumph der Sohnesliebe is an opera by Hans Werner Henze with a German libretto by the composer, inspired by Arab and Persian legends. This is Henze's 15th, and self-stated final, opera, and the first where he has written his own libretto.
Diana Damrau is a German soprano who achieved international fame for her performances, primarily in opera, but also in concert and lieder. She has been successful in coloratura soprano roles since her early career, and gradually proceeded into heavier roles of the 19th-century Italian bel canto repertoire. Her signature roles include the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Violetta in La traviata.
Wilma Lipp was an Austrian operatic soprano and academic voice teacher. A long-time member of the Vienna State Opera, she was particularly associated with the role of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, a role she performed internationally more than 400 times. She was awarded the title Kammersängerin at age 28, and was an honorary member of the Vienna State Opera, among other honours.
Cyndia Sieden is an American coloratura soprano on the opera and concert stages.
Karin Ott is a Swiss operatic coloratura soprano.
Lenneke Ruiten is a Dutch soprano. Ruiten studied at the Music Conservatory in Alkmaar and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, and at the Franz Schubert Institut in Baden bei Wien near Vienna.
Carla Spletter was a German operatic soprano.
Claudia Barainsky is a German operatic soprano. She has performed internationally, and won awards for her roles in contemporary operas such as Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten and Aribert Reimann's Medea.
Caroline Stein is a German operatic coloratura soprano and an academic voice teacher. She has appeared internationally, including contemporary opera, creating the Angel in Dusapin's Faustus, the Last Night at the Berlin State Opera.
Simone Schneider is a German operatic soprano. As a member of Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, she performed coloratura roles such as the Mozart's Queen of the Night. As a member of the Staatsoper Stuttgart from 2006, she has performed a wide range of leading roles including Donizetti's Maria Stuarda and the Feldmarschallin in Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss. She performed as a guest in major opera houses in Germany and Europe.
Colette Lorand was a Swiss operatic soprano who made an international career. Known as a coloratura soprano, she created several roles in world premieres, including Sibylle in Carl Orff's De temporum fine comoedia in 1973 at the Salzburg Festival, and Regan in Aribert Reimann's Lear at the Nationaltheater München in 1978, also in the French premiere of this opera in Paris in 1982.
Sylvia Geszty was a Hungarian-German operatic coloratura soprano who appeared internationally, based first at the Staatsoper Berlin in East Berlin and from 1970 at the Staatstheater Stuttgart. She is remembered as Mozart's Queen of the Night and an ideal Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, but also performed Baroque opera and in the world premiere of Kurt Schwaen's Leonce und Lena.
Ruth-Margret Pütz was a German operatic coloratura soprano and an academic voice teacher. She was a member of the Staatsoper Stuttgart for many decades, a frequent guest at the Vienna State Opera, and appeared at other major international opera houses and festivals. One of her signature roles was Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. She is regarded as one of the leading coloratura sopranos of the 1960s.
Julia Bauer is a German operatic coloratura soprano who has appeared at major opera houses and also in concert and recital. She has had leading roles such as Zerbinetta and Lulu, and was Freia, Helmwige, Forest Bird, Woglinde and Third Norn in Der Ring in Minden.
Hildegard Uhrmacher, married name Hildegard Kronstein-Uhrmacher, is a German operatic soprano who appeared at European opera houses in coloratura soprano roles such as Mozart's Konstanze, but also in contemporary works including Marie in Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten. She was a professor of voice at the Musikhochschule Hannover and the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. Her 2006 autobiography is entitled Hilde, du schaffst das.