Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Cancellation of European Ariodante Tour

It is with great regret that Joyce DiDonato must cancel her upcoming tour of Ariodante with her long time collaborator, Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco, March 4 – 17.  Due to a minor, but necessary medical reason, she is following her Doctor’s orders to cancel the European travel and tour.  Joyce looks forward to returning to the stage later in March in a series of concerts with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, and thank her fans for their understanding in making this very difficult decision.

JOYCE DIDONATO WINS HER FIRST GRAMMY® AWARD

At the 54th Annual GRAMMY® Awards last night, EMI/Virgin Classics exclusive artist Joyce DiDonato won in the Classical Vocal Solo category for her album Diva Divo.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Kansas City-born mezzo-soprano became the first ever classical singer to perform at the GRAMMYs® with a rousing rendition of Rossini’s “Non più mesta” from Diva, Divo which brought the audience to its feet in a standing ovation.

“Thank you for letting an opera girl come into this,” Joyce said in her acceptance speech. She also rallied the crowd by urging people to support arts education, saying how “there’s a war on in our country against the arts right now…we need more musicians in our lives.”

Diva, Divo is an album which celebrates the rich variety of the mezzo-soprano voice, including a selection of arias for both male and female characters which perfectly showcase DiDonato’s extraordinary instrument.

Joyce to be first Classical Vocalist ever to perform for the Grammys

Nominated for 2 Grammys this year, Joyce will perform “Non più mesta” for the Pre-Televised Ceremony, streamed live to an international audience.  Tune in Sunday, February 12 at 1:00 PT/4:00 EST on www.grammy.com/live to watch the entire Ceremony.

World Premiere of “Camille Claudel: Into the Fire”

“As he has done for singers throughout his career, Heggie has made the cycle a glowing showcase for the vocalist. The writing for quartet — filled with insinuating themes and deft harmonies — sets the stage, but never intrudes. And the vocal parts are brilliant: spare and pristine in several settings, luxuriantly ornamented in others. This is a work that sings, ardently, melodically, and dramatically. [...] DiDonato proved an ideal interpreter.” ~ San Francisco Classical Voice

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GREAT SCOTT TO OPEN DALLAS OPERA’S 2015-2016 SEASON STARRING WORLD RENOWNED MEZZO-SOPRANO JOYCE DIDONATO

GREAT SCOTT TO OPEN TDO’S 2015-2016 SEASON

STARRING WORLD RENOWNED MEZZO-SOPRANO

JOYCE DIDONATO IN HER NORTH TEXAS DEBUT!

MAESTRO EVAN ROGISTER, CONDUCTING

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“Unsparing ferocity” as the Sorceress Sycorax in the Met’s Enchanted Island

“The mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato was Sycorax. She commanded the stage from her first showcase scene, when she plotted her revenge on Prospero in “Maybe soon, maybe now” (music from Handel’s “Teseo”), singing with cool control, then bursting into fearless flights of passagework.”  ~Anthony Tommasini, New York Times

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End of the Year “Best of” Lists

Song recitals can sometimes be stiffly formal affairs, but this charismatic mezzo-soprano made Carnegie Hall feel like a living room when she performed a wide-ranging program of Haydn, Rossini, Cécile Chaminade and Jake Heggie with the pianist David Zobel in March. The event was memorable not only for Ms. DiDonato’s spectacular singing but also for her engaging onstage commentary.” ~ Best of 2011 New York Times

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OPERA NEWS: Dream Girl. Joyce DiDonato.

Dream Girl. The Sweet Voice of Reason
Joyce DiDonato — probably the most in-demand lyric-coloratura mezzo in the world — has become a star by playing up, not down, to her audiences. She tells BRIAN KELLOW how proud she is of opera — and how proud she is to be an opera singer.

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“Ariodante” in concert celebrated in conjunction with new disc release

It was one of the most detailed, artistically assured and musically thrilling pieces of singing and acting I’ve seen and heard in a long while.” ~ The Arts Desk
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Debut as Komponist for the Metropolitan Opera

Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato – coming off rave reviews for her role debut as Isolier in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Rossini’s rarely-seen Le comte Ory – takes to the Met stage again on May 7-13 to make her house role debut as the Composer in Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos. At a recent Met Q&A, the ever-effervescent singer talked about the Composer – a “trouser role” like Isolier, but from a completely different musical world: “I’ve sung the Composer before and it speaks very strongly to me – he is ardent and naïve and purposeful,” she explained. “Strauss sketched him so perfectly that I only need to sing what’s on the page and he will hopefully spring to life!” About the role’s being “a perfect part” for her, she added: “I think it’s that combination of innocence and dedication to music. ‘Sein wir wieder gut’ is an anthem to the magical world of music, and I think anyone who has had the honor to sing those words has a special affinity for this young man.”


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My Tweets

  • A million thanks for your generous understanding and support. I'm deeply moved. Signing off now for few weeks, but will return SOON! CHEERS!

Video

Una voce poco fa from Rossini's "Il barbiere di Siviglia". Richard Tucker Music Foundation Gala, 2007.

Recordings

Listen to excerpts from "Colbran, the Muse" and "Handel: Furore"
Both available on Virgin Classics.
View all recordings

On Tour

  • March 23, 24, 25 (m)
    Kansas City Symphony
    Kansas City

  • April 21, 27, 29
    May 2, 4

    Maria Stuarda / Maria
    Houston

  • May 29, June 2, 7, 10
    La Cenerentola
    Munich