Celebrated Romanian mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose, who has graced, with her mesmerizing presence and immense musical talent, the biggest lyrical stages of the world, has prepared a beautiful gift to all her American admirers. Part of her Enescu Soirees Online apparition, the acclaimed singer presents an entirely acapela program of Romanian music, a rare experience that, in her own words, exposes her as "…fragile, with just my voice and my soul for you." (Photo © Nicolae Alexa)
Program:
Tiberiu Brediceanu - Cine m-aude cântând (Whoever Hears Me Singing) and Bade, pentru ochii tăi (Darling, for Your Eyes)
Nicolae Bretan - Rea de plată (A Reluctant Debt Payer), Pe aceeași ulicioară (On the Same Lane), Și dacă ramuri bat în geam (And If...), and O, vin pe mare (Come Down to the Sea).
Born in Bucharest in a family of musicians, mezzo-soprano RUXANDRA DONOSE appeared on the concert stage as early as her childhood, but first as a pianist. A graduate of the Music University of Bucharest (the class of Georgeta Stoleriu), she further studied in Vienna with Carol Blaickner-Mayo. She has been awarded a great number of national and international prizes like, among others, laureate of the International Competition of Munich (1990) and of University of Maryland (1991). Soloist of the Opera Houses of Constanța (1989-1991), Basel (1991-1992) and Vienna (1992-1998), Ruxandra Donose has then started a very successful free lancing career on the most important opera stages as well as a very rich concert activity throughout the world, acquiring an impressive artistic record. Among the most renowned singers of her generation, she has captured critical and popular acclaim in leading opera houses and concert halls around the world. Particularly associated with the Mozart and French lyric repertoire, she has transitioned in recent years to the German dramatic repertoire, enjoying huge successes as Kundry in Parsifal, with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, Sieglinde in Die Walküre with Vladimir Jurowski and London Philharmonic Orchestra, Elektra in Manfred Trojan’s Orest at Opernhaus Zurich and Vienna State Opera and Fricka in both Rheingold and Die Walküre at Grand Theatre de Geneve. Recent highlights of her career include Kundry in Parsifal in Baden-Baden; Norma at Opéra de Rouen; Jocasta in Enescu’s Oedipe at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest and the Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski; Damnation de Faust in Shanghai and Beijing; Orest in Zurich and Vienna; Eboli in Don Carlo at Grange Park; Eduige in Rodelinda and Octavian in Rosenkavalier at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow; Arsace in Semiramide in Lyon and Paris; Komponist and Donna Elvira at Royal Opera House and Deutsche Oper Berlin; Carmen in the title role in the UK premiere of Calixto Bieito’s production at ENO and Cincinnati; the title role of La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein in Geneva, and Dorabella in Così fan Tutte for Los Angeles Opera and Spoleto.