Maria Nazarova is a russian operatic soprano and was born in Dnepropetrovsk (USSR). She is a prizewinner of several international voice competitions who has performed at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, at La Scala in Milan, at the prestigious Salzburg Festival and other world opera venues. For five years she has been a soloist with the Vienna State Opera, including the lead role of Adina in Donizetti's L’Elisir d’amore. [1][2]

 

She has collaborated with world famous opera conductors: Valery Gergiev, Christian Thielemann, Jonathan Darlington, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Adam Fischer, Ingo Metzmacher, Axel Kober, Marco Armiliato, Alain Altinoglu, Tugan Sokhiev, Constantinos Carydis, Cornelius Meister, Giampaolo Bisanti and others. She sang with world opera stars such as Placido Domingo, Piotr Beczała, Juan Diego Flórez, Ramón Vargas, Ludovic Tézier, Thomas Hampson, René Pape, Nina Stemme, Sophie Koch, Michael Schade, Albina Shagimuratova and others.

 

Education Career Discography References After graduating from the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow in 2010, she started her Masters degree at the Unisevsität Mozarteum Salzburg, in Austria. In 2013, she moved to Vienna to study in Opera Studio at the Vienna Conservatory (MUK). During her studies she sang the role of Contessa di Folleville in Il Viaggio a Reims at MuTh Theatre (https://muth.at/en/the-theatre/) in Vienna.[3]

 

Maria Nazarova won the First Prize at the International Singing Competition Les Azuriales Opera in 2014, in France[4] , and the First Prize at the Primo Concorso Lirico Internazionale di Portofino (CLIP) in 2015, in Italy[5] . In 2014, Nazarova was invited to perform the role of Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel at the Vilnius City Opera with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and sang this role in 2015 as well. In addition, she debuted as Lisa in La Sonnambula at the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich, Germany. Her perfect vocal technique, lively acting and grace immediately attracted attention. In 2015, having finished her studies, the young artist Maria received a Novomatic scholarship at the Vienna State Opera.

 

In 2016, she became a member of the Ensemble of the Vienna State Opera and has been heard as Adina, Adele, Musetta, Oscar, Sophie in Werther, Lisa in La Sonnambula, Despina, Yniold, Najade, Fiakermilli, Clorinda, Barbarina and Papagena among others. Over her next five years in the Vienna State Opera Maria Nazarova sang first and second parts and was the cover for the world famous performers of the leading roles. In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Dominique Meyer (director of the Vienna State Opera until the summer of 2020, now director of La Scala Theater) called Nazarova “our real diamond”.[6] In 2016, Nazarova brilliantly performed Oscar from Un ballo in maschera in Vienna, earning outstanding appraisal from the music columnist and pianist Jonathan Sutherland (https://bachtrack.com/22/270/list-published/18167), who had also seen Maria Callas’ performance: The star performer of the evening was young Russian coloratura Maria Nazarova as Oscar who brought dramatic credibility, humour and remarkable technical skill to the role. Her effortless fioratura and stellar staccato in “Volta la terrea” and clarity of intonation in the Act III canzona were absolutely flawless. With a pure tone colour similar to Reri Grist, this young singer has both superb vocal technique and a compelling stage presence.[...] Unquestionably, the Oscar for the best singing in a regicidal Swedish opera by Verdi goes to... Oscar. (13 Januar 2016, Bachtrack) [7] On May 19, 2017, on the stage of the Vienna State Opera, Maria Nazarova was honored to sing along with Placido Domingo at the gala concert celebrating his fifty years on stage, again in her brilliant role as the young page Oscar from Un ballo in maschera. [8]

 

In February 2018, Maria Nazarova made her Teatro alla Scala debut as Adele in Die Fledermaus under the baton of Cornelius Meister.[9] She made her debut at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow in 2016 as Despina in Cosi fan tutte, and sang this role in 2018 there again.[10] The same year, Maria also sang Despina at the Vilnius City Opera. In Summer 2018, she performed the role of Papagena in a new production of Die Zauberflöte at the Salzburg Festival.[11] In 2019, Maria Nazarova gave her first solo concert of chamber vocal music at the Wiener Musikverein. [12]

 

In the 2020/21 season, Maria Nazarova successfully sang in the production of Die Fledermaus at the New National Theater Tokyo[13][14] , where "in the form of a lively and energetic maid Adele charmed the audience, demonstrating outstanding vocal skills" (Bachtrack)[15] , made her debut at the Opéra National de Lyon and at the Aix-en-Provence Festival as the Golden Cockerel from the opera of the same name by Rimsky-Korsakov. [16][17] In the same season, she was forced to take a short break in the series of performances due to the cancellation of several performances by the Vienna State Opera due to the coronavirus pandemic. So, in the 2020/21 season, she was preparing her debut as Jemmy in Rossini's Guillaume Tell and her appearance in the role of Oscar together with Piotr Beczała, under the baton Michele Mariotti. [18]

 

In the current season 2021/22, Maria made her debut at the Stuttgart State Opera as Adele from Die Fledermaus and at the Berlin State Opera as Najade from Ariadne auf Naxos. She sang again in the Vienna State Opera the role of Clorinda from La Cenerentola and at Teatro alla scala as Prilepa / Maša in the new production of Tchaikovsky's La pique dame. For the summer of 2022 is planned her debut as Najade at the Florence Opera House in the new ptodaction of Ariadne Naxos and she will sing Papagena again in the famous Lydia Steiner's production Die Zauberflöte at the 101st Salzburg Festival.

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References

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1. "Igraem snachala | "The art of singing is for sensitive, reflecting people" (https://gazetaigraem.ru/article/20175). gazetaigraem.ru. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

2. "The Vienna Opera' brilliants" (https://interaffairs.ru/news/show/21091). Журнал Международная жизнь. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

3. "EUYO" (https://www.euyo.eu/memberProfile?id=5244). www.euyo.eu. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

4. "All Winners" (https://www.azurialopera.com/all-winners). les-az-2020. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

5. "CLIP Portofino | Albo" (https://www.portofinoclip.it/en/albo/). CLIP Portofino. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

6. "The Vienna Opera presented its season in Moscow for the first time" (https://rg.ru/2018/09/12/reg-cfo/venskaia-opera-vpervye-ust roila-prezentaciiu-svoego-sezona-v-moskve.html). Российская газета (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-10-14.

7. "Verdi's version of the Opera Ball" (https://bachtrack.com/review-ballo-maschera-vargas-lewis-wiener-staatsoper-january-2016). bachtrack.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

8. Maria Nazarova / Aria Oscar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmwqMxZAiD4), retrieved 2021-10-14

9. "Soprano Maria Nazarova makes house debut at Teatro alla Scala di Milano | sonoartists" (http://www.sonoartists.com/soprano-ma ria-nazarova-makes-house-debut-at-teatro-della-scala/). Retrieved 2021-10-14.

10. "Artists & Staff" (https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/persons/people/3038/). 2011.bolshoi.ru. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

11. "Soprano Maria Nazarova makes her debut at the Salzburg Festival on July 27th in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte! | sonoartists" (h ttp://www.sonoartists.com/soprano-maria-nazarova-makes-her-debut-at-the-salzburg-festival-on-july-27th-in-w-a-mozarts-die-zaub erflote/). Retrieved 2021-10-14.

12. "Maria Nazarova • Gaiva Bandzinaite" (https://www.musikverein.at/en/concert/eventid/37987). musikverein.wien. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

13. "Die Fledermaus | Opera" (https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/productions/opera/die-fledermaus-2020.html). NEW NATIONAL THEATRE, TOKYO. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

14. 新国⽴劇場オペラ『こうもり』より（2020年12⽉）Die Fledermaus- New National Theatre Tokyo, 2020 (https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=8wzYmZwn4is), retrieved 2021-10-14

15. "A stylish Fledermaus lifts spirits in Tokyo" (https://bachtrack.com/review-fledermaus-schmutzhard-kessler-franklin-new-national-th eatre-tokyo-december-2020). bachtrack.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

16. "Maria Nazarova (Performer) | Opera Online - The opera lovers web site" (https://www.opera-online.com/en/items/performers/mari a-nazarova). www.opera-online.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

17. "Maria Nazarova, soprano | TACT International Art Management" (https://tact4art.com/profile/Maria-Nazarova). tact4art.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

18. "Maria Nazarova (Performer) | Opera Online - The opera lovers web site" (https://www.opera-online.com/en/items/performers/mari a-nazarova). www.opera-online.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.

19. "MOZART, W.A.: Zauberflöte (Die) [Opera] (Salzburg Festival, 2018) (NTSC) - 749708" (https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.as p?item_code=749708). www.naxos.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14. 20. "Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten | Listen, download, and purchase at Orfeo Music" (https://www.orfeomusic.de/CatalogueDetail/?i d=C991203). www.orfeomusic.de. Retrieved 2021-10-14.