Vesselina Kasarova

Vesselina Kasarova is a Bulgarian mezzo-soprano opera singer.

Early life and education

Vesselina Kasarova (pronounced ka-TSA-ro-va) was born in the central Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora in July 1965. Under the communist regime that supported the arts, she studied Russian as a second language and began her music education in early childhood, taking her first piano lesson when she was only 4 years old. She gave her first stage performance as a 16-year-old pianist performing Mozart sonatas in 1981 in her hometown. As she studied piano and worked as accompanist at recitals, Kasarova became drawn to the voice as musical instrument.

After earning her concert pianist diploma in 1987, Kasarova switched to study singing under Ressa Koleva at Sofia's Music Academy, focusing on the works of Mozart and Rossini. Kasarova gave her first singing performance in Stara Zagora singing "Habanera" from Bizet's "Carmen". She performed at Sofia National Opera while still a student. She performed the part of Rosina in "the Barber of Seville" for her graduation exam.

Singing career

In 1988, while still a student, a demo tape recording of her performance was given to the renowned conductor Herbert von Karajan, who, upon hearing it, asked her to sing for him at the Vienna State Opera. Though Karajan died a week later, upon hearing this engaging singer his successor offered her 2 annual contracts starting in 1991.

Vesselina Kasarova graduated from the Conservatoire of Sofia in 1989 and spent the next two years at Zurich Opera. There she soon became a favorite with audiences appreciative of her intense characterizations, her expressive clarinet-ish voice, and virtuosic vocal agility. Her first role was two minor parts (2nd Norn and Wellgunde) in Wagner's "Götterdämmerung". In the same year she won first prize in the "Neue Stimmen" (New Voices)" international singing competition in Gütersloh, Germany, sponsored by Bertelsmann, owner of BMG Classics. In 1991, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival singing 2 concerts in commemoration of Mozart's 200th death anniversary and as "Annio" in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito under Sir Colin Davis. In that same year she left Zurich to fulfill her contract at the Vienna State Opera debuting in the role of "Rosina" in Rossini's The Barber of Seville, and remained with the company for 2 years. There she married her Swiss husband.

Her international career took flight in Salzburg in 1992 when at short notice, she stood in for Marilyn Horne as "Tancredi" in two concert performances of the Rossini opera. Since then she has been a regular guest performer at that summer festival, performing in Mozart's "La Clemenza di Tito', 'Idomeneo', 'Cosi fan tutte', 'Mitridate', 'Ombra Felice", and Berlioz's "La Damnation de Faust". She has also performed at other notable opera festivals such as Bregenz, St. Moritz, Glyndebourne, and Pesaro.

Kasarova initially specialized in Mozart's operas and works by bel canto composers such as Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti, but has since been adding roles from the Baroque operas such as "Orphée" in Gluck's "Orphée et Eurydice", "Ruggiero" in Händel's "Alcina", "Penelope" in Monteverdi's "Il ritorno d'Ullise in Patria", "Nirone" and "Poppea" in Monterverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea", and "Ariodante" in "Ariodante". She has also performed and released several CDs of operatic and Lieder pieces from French composers.

In 2003 Kasarova collaborated with the Bulgarian composer Krassimir Kyurkchiyski to produce the CD 'Bulgarian Soul'. She sings with the [http://www.cosmicvoices.net/ Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria] and the Sofia Soloists Orchestra in this compilation of Bulgarian folk songs. "Many people don't know my native land. I would like them to discover the Bulgarian soul," the singer commented. She won the 2003 "German ECHO Award" for "Singer of the Year", the 2005 "Merkur Preis" and was elected "Bayerische Kammersängerin" in the same year.

Her recent roles (since 2006) include:
*"Carmen" in Bizet's "Carmen"
*"Orphée" in the Hector Berlioz version of "Orphée et Eurydice" by Gluck
*"Leonor" in Donizetti's "La Favorite"
*"Zayda" in Donizetti's "Dom Sebastien"
*"Ariodante" in Handel's "Ariodante"
*"Ruggiero" in Handel's Alcina
*"Charlotte" in Massenet's "Werther"
*"Nirone" and "Poppea" in Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea"
*"Penelope" in Monteverdi's "Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria"
*"Sesto" in Mozart's "La clemenza di Tito"
*"Angelina" in Rossini's "La Cenerentola"
*"Isabella" in Rossini's "L'italiena in Algieri"
*"Rosina" in Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia"
*"Romeo" in Bellini's "I Capuleti e I Montecchi"
*"Oktavian" in Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier"

When asked what other roles she would do in the future she admits to the possibilities of Princess Eboli (in Verdi's "Don Carlo"), which she is eager to sing while she still has sufficient coloratura agility for the 'Veil Song'. Kasarova sang her first "Carmen" at the Zurich Opera Festival in summer of 2008, and is scheduled to sing "Edoardo" in Matilde di Shabran in August of the same year, and "Nerone" in Agrippina at the Royal Opera House in 2009.

Mindful of the need to take care of her health, family and career, Kasarova takes great care in choosing her opera parts and limiting herself to a maximum of 50 performances per year.

Vesselina Kasarova, her husband, and their son live near Zürich, Switzerland where she regularly gives concerts and performs as a guest artist at the Opernhaus.

Recordings of operatic roles

*"Tchaikovsky:Pique Dame (The Queen Of Spades)" (1992) -- [VHS & audio CD] As Pauline with Ozawa & Vienna State Opera (she sings the Governess in the CD)
*"Bellini: Beatrice di Tenda " (1992) -- [audio CD] As Agnese with Pinchas Steinburg & Orf Symphony Orchestra
*"Rossini: Tancredi " (1996) -- [audio CD] As Tancredi with Roberto Abbado & Munich Radio Orchestra
*"Weber: Oberon " (1996) -- [audio CD] As Fatime with Marek Janowski & Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
*"Offenbach: La Belle Hélène " (1997) -- [VHS & DVD] As Hélène with Nikolaus Harnoncourt & Zurich Opera ("Note: VHS and DVD versions show performances from different dates.")
*"Massenet: Werther " (1999) -- [Audio CD] As Charlotte with Vladimir Jurowski & Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
*"Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi " (1999) -- [Audio CD] As Romeo with R. Abbado & Munich Radio Orchestra
*"Berlioz: The Damnation of Faust " (1999) -- [DVD] As Marguerite with Sylvain Chambreling from the 1999 Salzburg Festival
*"Rossini: The Barber of Seville " (2001) -- [DVD] As Rosina with Nello Santi and Zurich Opera
*"Donizetti: La Favorite " (2001) -- [Audio CD] As Leonor with Viotti & Munich Radio Orchestra
*"Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria " (2003) -- [DVD] As Penelope with N. Harnoncourt & Zurich Opera
*"Mozart: La clemenza di Tito " (2003) -- [DVD] As Sesto with Nikolaus Harnoncourt from the Salzburg Summer Festival (now part of the M22 project)
*"Gluck: Orphée et Eurydice " (2004) -- [DVD] As Orphée with Ivor Bolton & Bavaria State Opera
*"R. Strauß: Der Rosenkavalier " (2005) -- [DVD] As Oktavian with Franz Welser-Mōst & Zurich Opera
*"Mozart" La clemenza di Tito " (2005) -- [DVD] As Sesto with Franz Welser-Mōst from Zurich Opera
*"Mozart: La clemenza di Tito " (2006) -- [Doppel CD] As Sesto with Pinchas Steinburg & Munchner Rundfunkorchester
*"Mozart: Mitridate, ré di Ponto " (2006) -- [Doppel CD] As Farnace with Sir Roger Norrington & Camerata Salzburg from the 1997 Salzburg Festival
*"Rossini: La Cenerentola " (2006) -- [Doppel CD] As Angelina with Carlo Rizzi & Munchner Rundfunkorchester
*"Donizetti: Dom Sebastien " (March 2007) -- [CD] As Zayda with Mark Elder & ROH Orchestra
*"Händel: Alcina (September 2007) -- [SACD] As Ruggiero with Ivor Bolton from Bavarian State Opera

=Other Recordings= (Vesselina Kasarova has an exclusive recording contract with RCA Red Seal Label)
*Hermann Suter Le laudi di San Francesco d’Assisi (1991) -- [Audio CD] with Budapester Sinfoniker Chor and Kinderchor des Ungarischen Rundfunks Budapest

*Wir Schwestern Zwei, Wir Schönen -- [Audio CD] lieder duets with Edita Gruberova including the famous Rossini's "Katzen-Duett (Duetto buffo di due gatti)"

*Berlioz, Ravel, Chausson (1994) -- [Audio CD] song cycles with Pinchas Steinberg and the ORF Symphonieorchester (This recording won the Prix Maurice Ravel award)

*A Portrait (1996) -- [Audio CD] with Friedrich Haider and the Munchner Rundfunkorchester. Arias from Handel's "Rinaldo", Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice", Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro" and "Don Giovanni", Rossini's "Il barbiere di Siviglia" and "L'italiana in Algeri", Donizetti's "Anna Bolena" and "La favorita", and Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi".

*Franz Schubert: Mass No. 6 in E-Major (1997) -- [Audio CD] with Riccardo Muti & Wiener Philharmoniker and Chor des Mitteldeutschen Rundfunks, Leipzig

*Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E-Major "Sinfonie der Tausend" (1997) -- [Audio CD] with Sir Colin Davis & Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

*Mozart Arias (1997) -- [Audio CD] with Sir Colin Davis and the Staatskapelle Dresden. Arias from "Cosi fan tutte", "Le nozze di Figaro", "Idomeneo", Mitridate", "Don Giovanni", "Lucio Silla", and La clemenza di Tito". This recording was nominated for the Grammy Award

*Schubert, Brahms, Schumann: Lieder (1999) [Audio CD] with Friedrich Haider

*Rossini: Arias and Duets (2000) [Audio CD] with Juan Diego Florez and Arthur Fagen & Musikalische Leitung. This record won the 2000 Cannes Classical Awards for Songs and Vocal Recitals 19/20 Century.

*Nuit Resplendissante (2001) [Audio CD] Rarely heard French opera arias with Frédéric Chaslin & Münchner Rundfunkorchester

*Love Entranced: French Opera Arias (2002) [Audio CD] with Frédéric Chaslin and the Munich Radio Orchestra.

*Bulgarian Soul: Kyurkchiyski (2003) [Audio CD] with " [http://www.cosmicvoices.net/ Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria] " under Vania Moneva, and the "Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra" under Tzanko Delibozov singing traditional Bulgarian folk songs. This recording was nominated for the German ECHO Klassik award (Classics Without Frontier)

*"Berlin Opera Night" (2004) -- [DVD & audio CD] Sings Charlotte's letter scene from "Werther" as part of the benefit concert to raise fund for AIDS research. CD under title "Gala Night"

*The Magic of Kasarova (2004) [Audio CD] compilation of arias from her acclaimed roles including tracks from live performances from the 2003 Munich production of "Orphée et Eurydice" and the 1999 Salzburger Festspiele production of "La damnation de Faust".

*Belle Nuit (2008) [Audio CD] with Ulf Schirmer and the Munich Radio Orchestra. Live recording of a concert at Philharmonie am Gastieg of Offenbach operetta arias.

*Sento Brillar (July 2008) [Audio CD] with Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco. Studio recording of Handel opera arias that were written for Carestini.

TV Documentary

* Vesselina Kasarova: Ein Portrait: Mozart ist ohne Ende (BMG Classic & Saarländischer Rundfunk) From 1997 interview with clips from "Idomeneo" in Florence, "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" in Paris, recording session of her "Mozart Arias CD" in Dresden
* Tell Me, Little White Cloud (Arte-TV) Making of "Bulgarian Soul CD" with the [http://www.cosmicvoices.net/ Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria] Female Choir
* Vesselina Kasarova: Die Kunst der Verwandlung (ORF) 2005 documentary of her career.

External links

* [http://www.kasarova.com Official website]
* [http://vesselinakasarova.blogspot.com/ Unofficial blog]
* [http://www.bruceduffie.com/kasarova.html Interview with Bruce Duffie in 1997]
* [http://www.bmgclassics.com/artists/artist.jsp?id=206692&artist=Vesselina+Kasarova BMG Classics Biography and Discography of Kasarova]
* [http://www.ncrv.nl/ncrv/radio?nav=gynwGsHjHAQTGHOH Audio clip of an interview in 2002 with NCRV in German]
* [http://www.radiobremen.de/magazin/kultur/musik/musikfest_2006/radiokonzerte.html Audio clips of an interview with Radio Bremen during the Handel Gala in 2006]
* [http://www.nposales.com/?article=1504&template=program Video clip of Prinsengracht outdoor concert in Amsterdam in 2004]
* [http://www.bayerische.staatsoper.de/c.php/kosmosoper/video.php?l=de&dom=dom1 Bayerische Staatsoper videoteck. Clips of productions (Alcina)]
* [http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/opera/OFB/stars/stars.htm Hear how her name is pronounced]
* [http://www.neue-stimmen.de/en/welcome/chronicle/1989/1stprize.php Home of the Neue Stimmen competition where she won 1st prize in 1989]

Quotes

* " Rossini invites the singer to use imagination but that is not the same as showing off." " -(Feb 1997 interview with Neil Evans for ClassicCD)

* "I don’t just want to show off my high notes! You must have colors in singing. If you sing normally all the time, it sounds nice, but it says nothing."

* "Singing must come from the heart and brain together, and it must come automatically. If you have to make emotion, think about it, it’s not pure. Music is emotion, and it’s never the same; the dress rehearsal may be one way, and the opening night another. When you sing well, the way you feel comes out in the voice." -(Oct 1997 interview with Bryan Miller for the Chicago Tribune)

* "At that moment I’m not interested in whether audiences like me or the director likes me or whether my performance is vocally brilliant. All I’m trying to be is sincerely within the body of the character, to use body language – arms, hands, my whole body – to convey it as well as I humanly can. And to use a wide range of colours to get across as honestly as I’m able the true, often conflicting, character of the role I’m singing. You could say my colour is my sincerity." -(Jan 2000 interview with Roderic Dunnett for 'The Independent'.)

* "On stage I want to go a long way away from what I am. On stage I want to say exactly what I mean, and be what I'd like to be. There I don't ask questions, as I do in life, when I worry about things. There, on stage, I'm much more at home." - (Nov 2000 interview with Antony Peattie for Opera Now)

* "Communicating with people through music, while conveying further (and not necessarily coincident) meaning with one's body language — that's what opera is essentially about." -(Jul 2002 interview with Carlo Vitali for Andante Magazine)

* "I'm always trying to learn from Edita (Gruberova). One important lesson I learned from her is that dramatic singing doesn't mean loud and fast; rather, it comes out through expression and variety of colors. In the first place, she asks any conductor to have the orchestra play piano whenever possible, so that meaningful crescendos can be obtained at the right moments." - (Jul 2002 interview with Carlo Vitali for Andante Magazine)

* "For me, the appeal of these works (French repertoire) is that you can use all the different colours in them. That's why I love singing French opera. It's true that I had to work very hard indeed on these roles, particularly on the language itself. French possesses a unique elegance not found in any other language. It's not only a question of the diction, but also of the appropriate colour. What I say and how I sing must go together. It's just a wonderful experience to work on these parts, and I wish the opera houses would put on more productions of French operas with big mezzo roles. They contain a great deal of sensuality and emotion, but are always subtle, there is nothing brutal about them." " -(2004 interview with Marianne Zelger-Vogt in the booklet from her CD 'The Magic of Kasarova')

* "When you sing, you have the text of course, but I think you shouldn't count on that, because sometimes the words are repetitive or don't make sense. The voice alone should tell the story and arouse the emotion, just like an instrument" " -(2004 interview with Cristina Necula for the 'Classical Singer Magazine')

* "I can live fine with the fact that I'm only seconda donna in an opera. Rather a good seconda donna than a bad prima donna." " -(2005 interview with Werner Pfister & Andrea Meuli. She was asked why she wouldn't move up to sing as soprano instead of mezzo like some other colleagues do)

* "It’s been nearly 20 years since I came to the West from Bulgaria, and I still remember how very surprised I was that everything was not so perfect or as honest and free here as I thought it would be. I enjoyed excellent training in Bulgaria. I know what discipline is, because I grew up in the environment of constant fear due to communism. I can hold myself together very well when the going gets rough. And I have learnt more life experience from music than from others. The music is holy. It is always good for the soul. That is all that matters for me. When I sing, I steal from no one, I do not cause others pain. I make nobody ill. The music speaks of our sensitivity, of things, which cannot be said with words. Singing is like wines." " - (2007 interview with Christine Lemke Matwey for the German magazine 'Die Zeit', issue Nr. 29)