- Dolora Zajick
-
Dolora Zajick (pronounced ZAH jick[1]) (born 24 March 1952 in Salem, Oregon) is an American mezzo-soprano who specializes in the Verdian repertoire. Zajick is arguably the leading exponent in the dramatic Verdian mezzo-soprano repertoire.
Oregon-born but Nevada-raised, Zajick studied voice with Ted Puffer, whom she credits with developing her vocal technique[2] and guiding her in career moves, especially early in her performing career.[3] She graduated from the University of Nevada with a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in music before going to New York for further music studies at the Manhattan School of Music. After winning the Bronze Medal at the 7th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and being accepted in the San Francisco Opera's Merola Program, she debuted with the San Francisco Opera as Azucena in Il trovatore which launched her to international stardom.
In addition to the role of Azucena, Zajick is well-known for her interpretations of Amneris and Eboli (in Verdi's Aida and Don Carlo respectively). Zajick has also performed in other Verdi roles, including Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. She has also appeared as the Princess in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, Marfa in Moussorgsky's Khovanshchina, Jezibaba in Dvořák's Rusalka, Santuzza in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma.
Since her debut in San Francisco, she has sung with such companies as Nevada Opera in Reno, Nevada, Metropolitan Opera in New York, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, La Scala, and Covent Garden. She has appeared with some of the foremost conductors of her era including James Conlon, Daniele Gatti, Valery Gergiev, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, and Michael Tilson Thomas. In November 2010 she made her debut as Ortrud in Wagner's "Lohengrin" with Los Angeles Opera under the baton of James Conlon and, during the 2011 festival season at the Verona Arena, she sang Amneris.
Recordings
- 1990 Verdi: Messa da Requiem Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala Riccardo Muti. EMI
- 1991 Verdi: Aida (Amneris) Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, James Levine. Sony
- 1992 Prokofiev: Ivan the Terrible/Alexander Nevsky (Nevsky) London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Mstislav Rostropovich. Sony
- 1993 Verdi: Don Carlo (Eboli) Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, James Levine. Sony
- 1994 Verdi: La Forza del Destino (Preziosilla) Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Riccardo Muti. EMI
- 1994 Verdi: Il Trovatore (Azucena) Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, James Levine. Sony
- 1995 Massenet: Hérodiade (Hérodiade) San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Valery Gergiev. Sony
- 1998 Dvořák: Rusalka (Ježibaba) Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras. Decca
External links
Notes
- ^ Email confirmation from Ms. Zajick, dated Jan 24, 2009, as reported on Opera List, at OPERA-L@LISTSERV.BCCLS.ORG
- ^ "Powerhouse. Mezzo Dolora Zajick Always Delivers," Matthew Gurewitsch, Opera News, March 1996.
- ^ "That Rare Vocal Bird, a True Verdi Mezzo," Walter Price, The New York Times, February 11, 1990, Arts and Leisure.
Categories:- 1952 births
- Living people
- People from Salem, Oregon
- American opera singers
- Operatic mezzo-sopranos
- Manhattan School of Music alumni
- Musicians from Nevada
- University of Nevada alumni
- American opera singer stubs
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