Stella Zambalis

Stella Zambalis is an American spinto soprano. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She has been called on of the best sopranos in the world today. [Stephanie Blythe, Arizona Star, Nov. 2007]

She can be heard on the Leonard Bernstein recording of West Side Story, 1992 Metropolitan Opera recording of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro (Levine), Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet:Overture Fantasy for Bridge Records and on Dvorak three complete solo song cycles for the Opus label. On PBS's The Making of West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein kisses her at the party.

After graduating from FSU where she began her lifelong studies with world famous Greek soprano Elena Nikolaidi Stella moved to Houston along with Nikolaidi where she became a member of the Houston Grand Opera young artist program. She was the 1983 winner of the Met Auditions. She began her career as a mezzo soprano and made the switch to Soprano in the mid 90's. She has been mentioned on the short list for the greatest Mimi's of all time and is a master at singing Puccini.

She created the role of the Stepmother in Robert Moran's and Philip Glass' The Juniper Tree and reprised the role in its New York City debut April 2007 at Lincoln Center.

In January 2007 she debuted as Bellini's Norma (opera) for Mercury Opera In Rochester NY.

She frequently performs the role of Nedda in I Pagliacci, all of the Puccini heroines,

Stella Zambalis is managed by Gene Seidel of Seidel Artists Management [http://seidelartistsmgmt.com/artist.asp?ID=30]

On Video

Seattle Opera's War and Peace
1992 Metropolitan Opera's Marriage of Figaro, Mozart, James Levine Conducting
PBS's The Making of West Side Story (Bernstein kisses her at the party)

YouTube

Duet with Renée Fleming [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2nvf-VlzVo]

Recordings

Leonard Bernstein recording of West Side Story
1992 Metropolitan Opera recording of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro (Levine)
Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet:Overture Fantasy for Bridge Records
Dvorak three complete solo song cycles for the Opus label

Roles

Mimi in La Boheme, Deutsche Oper Berlin/New York City Opera/Opera Company of Philadelphia/Baltimore Opera/Opera Columbus/Kentucky Opera/Arizona Opera/Michigan Opera/Opera Pacific/Tulsa Opera/Arkansas Symphony
Floria Tosca in Tosca, Columbus (debut)/Tacoma Opera/Fargo Morehead/Chattanooga Symph & Opera/Arkansas Symphony/others
Cherubino (Created) in John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles, Metropolitan Opera
Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, New York City Opera/Deutch Oper Berlin/Indianapolis/Opera Theater of Saint Louis/others ( at least 23 total productions)
Magda in La Rondine, New York City Opera
The Three Heroines in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Opera Columbus/New York City Opera/Chautauqua Opera/Knoxville Opera
Giulietta in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Tulsa Opera
Micaela in Carmen, New York City Opera/Michigan Opera/Minnesota Opera/Tulsa Opera
Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Houston Grand Opera/Opera Omaha/Indianapolis Opera
Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, Houston Grand Opera/Seattle Opera
Musetta in La Boheme, Houston Grand Opera
Nedda in I Pagliacci Houston Grand Opera/Opera Co. of Philadelphia/Portland Opera/Arizona Opera/New Orleans Opera
Sophie in Prokofieff’s War and Peace, Seattle Opera
Norma in Norma, Mercury Opera Rochester 2007
Adalgisa in Norma, Florida Grand Opera/Opera Hamilton
Violetta in La Traviata, Austin Lyric Opera
Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy/Austin Lyric Opera/Opera Hamilton/San Antonio Symphony
Angelina in La Cenerentola, Florentine Opera
Liu in Turandot, Indianapolis Opera/Nashville Opera/Florentine Opera/Tulsa Opera/Chattanooga 2008 Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Kentucky Opera/Indianapolis Opera
Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte, Kentucky Opera
Pamina in The Magic Flute, Opera Company of PhiladelphiaRosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Opera Company of Philadelphia/Houston Grand Opera/Tacoma Opera/Arizona Opera (2007)Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Opera Company of Philadelphia/Chattanooga Opera/Opera Omaha
Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Knoxville Opera/Chattanooga/“soprano” in Carmina Burana,Portland Opera
Marguerite in Faust, Portland Opera
double-bill of Pagliacci and Carmina Burana, Opera Omaha
Trouble in Tahiti, La Scala
Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera
Inez in Maria Padilla, Opera Omaha
the Stepmother (created) in Philip Glass’ and Robert Moran’s The Juniper Tree, Opera Omaha
Euridice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Indianapolis Opera
Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena, Indianapolis Opera
Hanna in The Merry Widow, Indianapolis Opera/San Antonio Symphony
Violetta in La Traviata, Austin Lyric/Madison OperaLucy Lockett in The Beggar’s Opera, Opera Theater of Saint Louis
Angelina, Opera Theater of Saint Louis
Tessa in The Gondoliers, Opera Theater of Saint Louis
Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Opera Theater of Saint Louis
Sara in Roberto Devereux, Opera Orchestra of New York in Carnegie Hall
Walter in La Wally, Opera Orchestra of New York in Carnegie Hall

Roles Created

Cherubino in The Ghosts of Versailles Metropolitan Opera John Corglioni
The Stepmother in Philip Glass’ and Robert Moran’s The Juniper Tree (Reprized at Lincoln Center for New York Premier 2007)
The Woman in Robert Moran’s Desert of Roses Houston Grand Opera
the title role in the world premiere of Rachel for the Knoxville Opera, with additional performances in Nashville with Nashville Opera

Concert

Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Santiago, Chile
Strauss’ Four Last Songs, Houston, Pittsburgh and San Francisco Ballets
Solo Quartet of Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes with Mischa and Cipa Dichter, Houston Symphony
Soprano Solist with the late Robert Shaw in Verdi’s Requiem in New York with the Little Orchestra Society (recording exists)
Youngstown Symphony in the Mozart Requiem
New Bedford Symphony as guest soloist with an ‘opera’ venue and again with a ‘Christmas’ venue
Erie Symphony for a New Year’s Day concert
Greenville Symphony in Verdi’s Requiem
Houston Masterworks for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Vaughan Williams’ Benedicite
Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy as soprano soloist in Menotti’s Mass and his Cantata to St. Teresa of Avila: Muero, Porque no Muero, which she also performed with the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin.
Featured soloist under the baton of Raphael Frubech de Burgos once again in Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra in Berlin

References