Mariana Nicolesco

Mariana Nicolesco (Romanian pronunciation: [mariˈana nikoˈlesko]; born November 28, 1948) is a Romanian operatic soprano, particularly associated with Mozart, Verdi and the Belcanto repertory.

Career

Mariana Nicolesco studied violin at the Brasov School of Music getting her diploma with the Bruch Concerto, and voice, for a short period, at the Cluj-Napoca Academy of Music, before winning a scholarship at the Conservatorio Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where she studied canto with Jolanda Magnoni, later on working with Rodolfo Celletti and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Upon graduation, in 1972, she won the Rossini International Voice Competition organized by RAI in Milan. As a result, the American conductor Thomas Schippers invited her to Cincinnati, as Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème.

She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1978, as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata, a role she will sing over 200 times around the world.

Soprano Mariana Nicolesco has been acclaimed in the most renowned opera houses such as Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where she featured in the world premiere of Luciano Berio’s La Vera Storia in 1982 and later in many new productions, recitals and concerts.

She sang in Munich, Vienna, Hamburg, Dresden, Berlin, Barcelona, Zürich, Madrid, Rome, Florence, Parma, Venice, Palermo, Paris, Monte Carlo, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Miami, Washington, Boston, New Orleans, Toronto, Pretoria, Caracas, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro. Also in the most prestigious Concert halls, Carnegie Hall in New York, Royal Festival Hall in London, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Musikverein in Vienna, Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Moscow Great Conservatory Hall, and the Salzburg Festival, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Martina Franca Festival, Casals Festival in Puerto Rico.

She appeared in major productions by Luchino Visconti, Giorgio Strehler, Patrice Chéreau, Luca Ronconi, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, Franco Zeffirelli, Pier Luigi Pizzi, Jonathan Miller, under the direction of Carlo Maria Giulini, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa, Lorin Maazel, Peter Maag, Giuseppe Patané, Alberto Zedda, Colin Davis, Georges Prêtre, Gennadij Rozhdestvensky.

Mariana Nicolesco who is a laureate of the UNESCO Medal for Artistic Accomplishments was named UNESCO Artist for Peace “in recognition of her commitment to musical heritage, artistic creation, dialogue between cultures, and of her contribution to promoting the ideals of the Organization”.

Roles and events

Mariana Nicolesco interpreted a wide repertoire from baroque to verismo and to contemporary music, with a special affinity for Mozart, Verdi and Belcanto. Her arresting personality captivated audiences ever since her first Violetta in La Traviata, with Thomas Schippers conducting Giancarlo Menotti’s production in Florence (1976). She sang the role more than two hundred times. Other achievements in her Verdi repertoire are the roles of Leonora in Il Trovatore (Hamburg Staatsoper 1981), Desdemona in Otello (Toronto 1980, Pretoria 1981, Hamburg Staatsoper 1983), Gilda in Rigoletto (New York Metropolitan Opera 1978, Caracas Teatro Municipal 1981, Strasbourg Opéra du Rhin 1981), Luisa in Luisa Miller (Amsterdam Concertgebow 1984), Amelia in Simon Boccanegra (Tokyo 1990).

She scored a great success as Liù in Turandot by Puccini (Torino Teatro Regio 1977, Houston 1982, Berlin 1987), Mimì in La Bohème by Puccini (Chicago Lyric Opera 1979, Rio de Janeiro 1980), Nedda in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci (New York Metropolitan Opera 1978-1986, Wiener Staatsoper 1986), Donna Anna in The Stone Guest by Dargomyzhsky (Teatro alla Scala di Milano 1983, Paris Opéra Comique 1985), Tatyana in Evghenij Oneghin by Tchaikovsky (Maggio Musicale Fiorentino 1975), Zarine Marina in Dimitry by Dvorak (Munich Festival 1992), La Protagonista in Un re in ascolto by Luciano Berio (première for the Teatro alla Scala in Milan 1986).

Her Mozart roles include Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Sawallisch in Munich (1986–1996) and Muti at La Scala (1987, 1988, 1993), Cinna in Lucio Silla again at La Scala (1984), in Chéreau’s production, Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito in Bologna (1988), Peter Maag conducting, Elettra in Idomeneo with Ozawa, in Tokyo (1990) and at the Salzburg Festival (1990).

Mariana Nicolesco took part as well at the renaissance of the baroque repertoire at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, with L’Orfeo by Luigi Rossi (1985) and Fetonte by Niccolò Jommelli (1988), both staged by Luca Ronconi.

She established herself as a soprano drammatico d’agilità in the belcanto repertoire, with her interpretation of Bellini’s Beatrice di Tenda at La Fenice in Venice (1975). Other belcanto hits are her interpretation of Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan (Martina Franca Festival 1988), her Elisabeth I, Queen of England, in Roberto Devereux (Montecarlo 1992, 1997), her Anna Bolena (Munich 1995) and her Belcanto Recitals and Galas at La Scala in Milan (1988, 1993), Carnegie Hall in New York (1994), Moscow’s Great Conservatory Hall (1996, 1998).

Invited by Pope John Paul II, she sang in the First Christmas Concert televised worldwide from the Vatican (1993) and watched through Mondovisione TV by one billion people.

Mariana Nicolesco starred in the world premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s masterpiece Seven Gates of Jerusalem dedicated to the 3000 years of the Holy City (1997), Lorin Maazel conducting. After a 21-year absence, Mariana Nicolesco sang, at long last, in 1991 for the first time ever on a stage in her native country, in a Recital at the Romanian Atheneum. She offered again, in 1993, a memorable concert at the Romanian Atheneum, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the National Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 1998 for its 130th anniversary.

Over ten thousand people would come to the Civic Center of Braila to welcome her at every recital she gives to support the Hariclea Darclée International Voice Competition she founded in 1995 to honour the memory of the first interpreter of Puccini’s Tosca, born in that city on the Lower Danube. Over 1500 candidates from Romania and other 45 countries and 5 continents attended this Contest. She succeeded in attracting an enthousiastic and numerous public also to the concerts of the young talents that she is happy to join on stage and who brilliantly appeared in Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini opera performances. In the years between an edition of the contest and the next, she offers Master Classes to the laureates.

Back in Romania, Mariana Nicolesco decided to lend her support to Romanian orphanages and to the promotion of young artists of exceptional talent. She created in New York The Romanian Atheneum International Foundation Inc (1991). This non-profit organization, established to perpetuate a rich cultural tradition, helped with the restoration of the magnificent 1888 Romanian Atheneum Concert Hall in Bucharest. The Foundation restored the Atheneum’s organ and has donated a Steinway grand concert piano (1994).

Mariana Nicolesco created the National Festival and Romanian Song Competition (2003) and presented The Gran Gala UNESCO-UNICEF Romania in Venice (2003), acclaimed by the Italian press with titles like The Splendors of Romania.

On the occasion of the 150th celebration of the world premiere of Verdi’s La Traviata, she was honoured in the United States (2003), with Virginia Zeani, as a great interpreter of the role of Violetta Valéry. She presented then Verdi’s masterpiece sang by some of the Romanian laureates of the Darclée Competition.

A study (2003 Romanian Broadcast in the cycle Under Italy’s Sun”) shows that, in the history of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Mariana Nicolesco is the soprano who appeared in the most premiere assolute.

For the International George Enescu Year (2005), proclaimed by UNESCO, commemorating 50 years since the great Romanian composer passed away, Mariana Nicolesco presented in world premiere his Complete Songs, interpreted by the laureates of the Romanian National Song Competition she created in Brasov (2003). As a result of the great success of the evening, broadcast by the national TV, Mariana Nicolesco and her young friends were invited for Gala Concerts dedicated to Enescu’s Songs in Japan, at the Aichi World Exhibition as well as in Nagoya and Tokyo, in Prague, Paris, Rome and New York. Enescu’s Complete Songs were released on the occasion on CD and DVD. In no time, exceptional echoes appeared in the international music magazines, from Orpheus in Berlin to Amadeus in Milan. She is member of the Jury of the International Music Competition Schubert and Modernity at Graz University of Music and Art, in Austria (2003, 2006).

In 2006, celebrating The International Mozart Year, Mariana Nicolesco was invited by Lausanne Opera and Conservatory to give Master Classes to students and young artists from Switzerland, Italy, France, Argentina, England and Romania.

Mariana Nicolesco inaugurated a series of Master Classes at the newly created International Voice Academy of the University of Cardiff, in Wales (2007). She appeared on the cover of Orpheus opera magazine (2007), published in Berlin, with the title: «Mariana Nicolesco – Europe sings with us», along with an important article dedicated to the Hariclea Darclée International Voice Competition.

November 2007: Mariana Nicolesco Concert – Master Class with the laureates of the Hariclea Darclée International Voice Competition in Thalia Theatre, for the program Sibiu – European Capital of Culture. On that occasion, the President of the European Cultural Forum conferred Mariana Nicolesco the Special Award Kultur Preis Europa: “A great voice of our time, Mariana Nicolesco receives the Europa Medal for her artistic accomplishments, for her role as a mentor of the new generation and for her successful efforts in bringing Romania to Europe and Europe to Romania”.

The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, gave Mariana Nicolesco the Honorary Diploma of the Omenia International Foundation “for creating in Romania a Voice School of the highest European level, for her humanitarian activity, for promoting humane values, tolerance and reconciliation”. The event took place on the occasion of a Gala Concert at the Romanian Atheneum in Bucharest (2008) offered by Mariana Nicolesco and the laureates of the Hariclea Darclée International Voice Competition.

In 2009: triumph of the first ever performances in Romania of Gaetano Donizetti’s Parisina d’Este and Gemma di Vergy coordinated by Mariana Nicolesco, at the Bucharest National Opera, and later on at the Pelesh Royal Castle in Sinaia and during the Darclée Festival.

Discography and world premières

• Vincenzo Bellini Beatrice di Tenda – Rizzoli Records 1987, Sony 1995, 2009
• Gaetano Donizetti Maria di Rohan – Nuova Era 1988, 1991
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro – EMI 1987
• Giuseppe Verdi Simon Boccanegra – Capriccio 1990, 2005
• Giacomo Puccini La Rondine – CBS Record 1983
• Mariana Nicolesco und Münchner Klaviertrio – BMG 1997
• Three CDs (TVR & FIAR 2002) and three DVDs (FIAR & Atlantic Media 2007) Mariana Nicolesco from the World Stage to Romania were released with great success
• Giacomo Meyerbeer Cantata Gli amori di Teolinda – Pro Arte 1981
• Maurice Ravel The Cantatas Alyssa and Alcyone – Rizzoli Records 1987
• Vatican Christmas – Sony 1994, Natale in Vaticano – Video RAI 1994
• Luciano Berio La Vera Storia, Teatro alla Scala, Milano – Scala 1982 RAI
• Krzysztof Penderecki Seven Gates of Jerusalem – 3SAT 1997, Polish Requiem – 3SAT 1988

Honors

• Ph.D. in Arts with a thesis on Belcanto (2000)
• Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy (1993)
• Doctor Honoris Causa of the Cluj-Napoca Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music (1996)
• Honoris Causa Professor of the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (2005)
• Honorary Professor (2002) and Doctor Honoris Causa (1999) of Transylvania University in Brasov
• Member of the Honorary Committee of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation (2003)
• Honorary Citizen of Bucharest (1991), Brasov (1999), Braila (1995), Cluj-Napoca (1996)
• Berlin Musician of the Year (2003)
• Elected the Most Successful Woman in Romania (2004)
• President of the Romanian Atheneum International Foundation (1991)
• President of the Darclée Foundation (1995)
• The National Order of the Star of Romania in the rank of High Cross, the highest Romanian honor (2008)
• Commander of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity (2004)
• Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France (2000)
• The Medal of Sicily on the occasion of the integration of Romania in the European Union (2007)
• The Special Award and Medal Kultur Preis Europa (2007)
• The UNESCO Medal for Artistic Achievements (1992)
• UNESCO Artist for Peace (2005)

Echoes in the International Press

Mariana Nicolesco’s dramatic singing brought the public to ecstasy. Asahi Shimbun / Tokyo Ryuichi Higuchi, 18.05.1990

Superb Mariana Nicolesco. Corriere della Sera / Milan, Duilio Courir, 16.01.1986

Mariana Nicolesco brought down La Scala with the thrilling, quicksilver of her Mi tradì. The Independent / London, Rupert Christiansen, 29.12.1987

A great voice, a supreme mastery. Süddeutsche Zeitung / Munich, W.E. von Lewinski, 18.09.1981

One could seldom recall such a perfect artistic achievement, most extraordinary, at the Bolshoy Theater or at the Conservatory Great Concert Hall, as Mariana Nicolesco’s Belcanto Gala with the Russian National Orchestra. Vecernii Club / Moscow, Natalia Zimianina, 30.11.1996

A true revelation. Few are the sopranos today who possess such an accomplished mastery of their art. Il Gazzettino / Venice, Mario Messinis, 17.04.1975

Mariana Nicolesco gives Euridice suave accents and at the same time accents of distress, tinged with hope and agony, with tears and smiles, acting like the prima donna that she is, and practically the whole opera is borne on her shoulders. Opéra International / Paris, Sergio Segalini, September 1985

None of these singers has created quite a stir that Mariana Nicolesco did in her debut in New York, last fall-she has had the most impact. She used her voice with extraordinary expressiveness, wringing meaning and feeling from it that one could not suspect possible. The New York Post / New York, Joseph C. Korena, 18.10.1978

An exceptional Diva named Mariana Nicolesco. El Mundo Diario / Madrid, Pablo Nadal, 12.01.1981

Mariana Nicolesco gives Beatrice a dazzling dimension that leaves us breathless, stupefied, and full of joy. There is no soprano today who can compete with Mariana Nicolesco. What accomplished singing, truly dramatic, what virtuosity, what a musical line! Hurray for this new and brilliant belcanto recording! Orpheus / Berlin, Geerd Heinsen, March 1988

Mariana Nicolesco, Queen of la Scala. La Notte / Milan, Gabriella Mazzola, 10.03.1993

Mariana Nicolesco, the voice and the look of a star. Le Point / Paris, André Tubeuf, 18.01.1992

Her Violetta in La Traviata was superb - one of the most exciting debuts in recent memory. The New York Times / New York, John Rockwell, 05.09.1977

Mariana Nicolesco remarkable in the recitatifs, brilliant in the arias. Die Bühne / Vienna, R.L., March 1988

Vivid, formidably well sung by Mariana Nicolesco. The Guardian / London, Gerald Larner, 04.02.1992

Mariana Nicolesco, the new belcanto star, triumphs at La Scala and seduces Paris. Paris Match / Paris, G.M., 25.06.1982

Mariana Nicolesco, in a very short time, became a favorite with New York operagoers. A major voice, her soprano has its own very distinctive personality, a warm, silvery purity tinged by just enough vibrato to permit her a wide range of expressive gestures, and she easily commands the reserve vocal power to give that extra soaring thrust to a phrase. The New York Times / New York, Peter G.Davis, 26.09.1977

Mariana Nicolesco, a great Traviata. El Noticiero Universal / Barcelona, A.V., 18.12.1978

One of the most beautiful voices of our time. L’Evènement du Jeudi / Paris, V.T., 19.06.1985

Mariana Nicolesco sang with such tragic poignance that other soloists on stage and some of the audience were moved to tears. The Boston Herald / Boston, Ellen Pfeifer, 25.01.1986

Mariana Nicolesco is mistress of a gorgeous lyric-spinto voice of size, control, and a lustrously soaring top, each tone firm and fine-spun throughout the range. Chicago Tribune / Chicago, John Von Rhein, 03.12.1979

Mariana Nicolesco, an outstanding drammatico d’agilità soprano and a great actress that the public of La Scala has known for years, created her heroine (Fetonte’s Queen Climene) with splendid force and veracity, which led to ovations after every aria, as well as at the end of the performance. Gente / Milan, Renzo Allegri, 18.02.1988

The hottest news last fall was the debut of Romanian soprano Mariana Nicolesco. As the star of last night’s opening of the season, she is still the hottest news. Big temperament, fascinating, altogether a stage creature with good looks to match her talents, Miss Nicolesco is exactly the kind of soprano to start battles, if not fist fights, among opera lovers. Her eventual flows will always be considered more interesting than other sopranos vertues. The New York Post / New York, Speight Jenkins, 24.09.1978

Mariana Nicolesco’s voice, full and fluent, has a certain tragic elegance of tone. San Francisco Chronicle / San Francisco, H.S., 14.02.1988

The warmest voice of all belonged to Romanian soprano Mariana Nicolesco, dramatic, beautifully modulated, expertly handled. The Cleveland Press / Cleveland, Frank Hruby, 14.05.1982

The interpretation of the great Romanian diva Mariana Nicolesco was a true master class. ABC / Sevilla, Ramon Maria Serrera, 25.03.1996

Nicolesco’s exceptionally sure instrument proves, with her mastery throughout, a stunning virtuosity. Das Opernglas / Hamburg, Michael Lehnert, November 1991

The popular Gilda’s aria is seized by Nicolesco as an opportunity to show how melodies worn threadbare may be restored to pristine freshness and sublime virtuosity through the exercise of superbly trained vocal organ, imaginative new conceptions and intense, spiritual apllication. Certainly Nicolesco’s is the finest female voice ever heard in the O’Keefe Center. Toronto Sun / Toronto, Andrew Porter, 05.11.1978

Mariana Nicoleso’s Recital at la Scala: a sensational triumph. Orpheus / Berlin, Geerd Heinsen, July 1988

Last night Mariana Nicolesco sang in Milan, taking la Scala by storm with her performance. Daily News / New York, Liz Smith, 24.05.1988

Mariana Nicolesco was fiery and impressive. The performance has been hailed as the musical event of the season. International Herald Tribune, William Weaver, 07.06.1984

Mariana Nicolesco, splendid vocal mastery and passional intensity. Corriere della Sera / Milano, Dario Del Corno, 10.08.1988

Mariana Nicolesco, an enchantement. With her imperious and vibrant timbre colours her performance with nuances of drama and vehemence. Brilliant top notes, a great agility in her coloratura, and a natural impetuosity that are instantly convincing. Le Figaro / Paris, Pierre-Petit, 17.11.1989

Mariana Nicolesco has that extremely rare capability of reducing her large voice to a coloured, menacing murmur from which the totality of the voice suddenly erupts with magnificent immediacy and energy. Gramophone / London, André Tubeuf, April 1992

Superb, profound voice, of an exceptional colour. Le Quotidien de Paris / Paris, Gérard Mannoni, 07.02.1985

Her vivid creation in the role and richness in expression and nuances brought her to the pinnacle. Die Welt / Hamburg, M.V., 19.09.1991

The success of Salzburg’s Festival final performance is due to Mariana Nicolesco in Elettra. Her colours, contrasts, vehemence and vitality brought the audience to a delirious enthusiasm. Diapason-Harmonie / Paris, André Tubeuf, 31.08.1990

Mariana Nicolesco bravissima in a murderous part. Il Mattino / Napoli, Francesco Canessa, 11.03.1982

Music becomes true poetry. A triumphant succes. La Stampa / Torino, Massimo Mila, 13.06.1985

Mariana Nicolesco sang with rich, round tone, clear enunciation and breath-taking ease, even in passages of extreme agility she remained expressive as well as in tune. Financial Times / Londra, William Weaver, 14.02.1988

La Nicolesco, one of the last monstres sacrés of belcanto. L’Express / Paris, Pierre Combescot, 19.01.1990

Acclaimed again the revelation Nicolesco, superb example of musicality, dramatic feeling and presence on stage. Oggi / Milan, Alfredo Mandelli, 02.12.1983

A memorable debut as Violetta, with the legendary Alfredo Kraus. Corriere della Sera / Milan, Duilio Courir, 15.03.1993

Mariana Nicolesco displayed a radiant top and earthiness, her scenes with Vickers harrawing in emotional commitment. Opera News / New York, Robert Jacobson, 29.03.1986

A monument to belcanto. Vogue / Paris, R.V., 1979

Mariana Nicolesco is a natural dramatic coloratura, with passion and assured technique and she presents a rightly formidable stage persona. Opera / London, Richard Law, May 1992

In Munich or at La Scala in Milan Mi tradi from Don Giovanni with Mariana Nicolesco is one of those moments of opera miracle, where music turns into action, fascinating us. Diapason-Harmonie / Paris, André Tubeuf, February 1988

Two queens for Turandot : (the princess with the same name) and the slave Liù, interpreted by Mariana Nicolesco. Daily News / New York, Ron Eyer, 19.09.1977

A powerful interpretation in every detail, a great lyric tragedienne, in perfect control of her artistry. Le Quotidien de Paris / Paris, Gérard Mannoni, 29.01.1992

Mariana Nicolesco Prima Donna Assoluta. Opera Quarterly / New York, René Seghers, March-May 2002

A fact unique rather than rare with a modern opera, Mariana Nicolesco got standing ovations at La Scala. La Stampa / Torino, Massimo Mila, 11.03.1982

Mariana Nicolesco, Signora del Belcanto. Corriere della Sera / Milano, Mario Pasi, 20.12.1987

Mariana Nicolesco, Diva Divine. Vanity Fair / New York, Bob Colacello, December 1994

External links

• The Hariclea Darclee Festival and International Voice Competition
• http://www.darclee-voice-contest.com/

Sources

• Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1985, 1988
• The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, 1992
• Oxford University Press, 2002, 2008
• Who’s Who in Music, 1993
• Riemann Musiklexikon, 1992
• Grosses Sängerlexikon, 1991
• Rodolfo Celletti Il Teatro d’Opera in disco, 1987
• Rodolfo Celletti La Musica in Dischi, 1990
• Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 1986
• Opera ’93. Annuario dell’opera lirica in Italia
• The Clarinet, 1984, Vol. 12-13, International Clarinet Society, Jdaho State University.
• Bielefelder Katalog Klassic, Compact Discs, MusiCassetten 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997
• Dorina Rusu – Istoria Academiei Române în date (1866–1996), Story of the Romanian Academy in dates (1866–1996) – Bucharest, 1997
• Nuova rivista musicale italiana, numeri 3-4, 1986

Persondata
Name	Nicolescu, Mariana
Alternative names
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Date of birth	November 28, 1948
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death