Elīna Garanča’s Hong Kong Debut: A Night of Iconic Opera Arias
Elīna Garanča’s Hong Kong Debut: A Night of Iconic Opera Arias
Elīna Garanča to make Hong Kong debut on 29th October with gala concert featuring iconic Opera Arias
2nd October 2024 – (Hong Kong) The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has confirmed that renowned Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča will make her debut in Hong Kong on 29th October. Accompanied by acclaimed conductor Karel Mark Chichon and the Macao Orchestra, Garanča is set to perform a selection of beloved pieces from Bizet’s “Carmen” alongside various opera arias, promising an exquisite musical experience for fans.
Elīna Garanča (born 16 September 1976) is a Latvian mezzo-soprano. She began to study singing in her hometown of Riga in 1996 and continued her studies in Vienna and in the United States. By 1999 she had won first place in the Mirjam Helin Singing Competition in Helsinki and had begun a career in Europe. Worldwide engagements followed her 2003 Salzburg Festival appearances.
Elīna Garanča was born in the Latvian city of Riga into a musical family: her father was a choral director, and her mother Anita was a lieder singer, a professor at the Latvian Academy of Music, an associate professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture, a vocal music teacher at the Latvian National Opera, and also a private voice tutor.
She entered the Latvian Academy of Music in 1996 to study singing with Sergej Martinov. She continued her studies in Vienna with Irina Gavrilovich and in the United States with Virginia Zeani. Garanča began her professional career at the Meiningen Court Theatre, Meiningen, Germany in 1998, and later worked at the Frankfurt Opera. In 1999, she won the Mirjam Helin Singing Competition in Helsinki, Finland.
In May 2018 Garanča made her stage role debut as Dalila in Camille Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila at the Vienna State Opera conducted by Marco Armiliato. In 2018, she appeared in the Metropolitan Opera’s performance of that opera.
During the first half of the concert, Garanča will showcase Tchaikovsky’s ‘Aria of Johanna’ from “The Maid of Orleans,” Saint-Saëns’s ‘Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix’ from “Samson et Dalila,” and Gounod’s ‘Plus grand, dans son obscurité’ from “La Reine de Saba.” The second half will feature excerpts from Bizet’s renowned opera “Carmen,” including ‘L’amour est un enfant de Bohème,’ ‘Habanera,’ and ‘Seguidilla,’ among others. The Macao Orchestra will also perform orchestral interludes, including Glinka’s “Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila” and Massenet’s ‘Meditation’ from “Thaïs.”
Garanča has gained international acclaim for her performances, particularly for her portrayal of Carmen, which earned her the title of “the finest Carmen in 25 years” from the New York Times following her performance at the Metropolitan Opera. She has graced stages at prestigious venues such as the Royal Opera House and Teatro alla Scala, all while accumulating numerous accolades, including Grammy nominations and ECHO Klassik Awards.
Karel Mark Chichon, the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra, will lead the Macao Orchestra for this special event. Chichon is recognised for his collaborations with several esteemed orchestras globally and has been honoured as a Fellow of the UK’s Royal Academy of Music.
The “Elīna Garanča Gala Concert” will take place at 8pm on 29th October at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets, priced from $280 to $1,280, are available through URBTIX.
A pre-concert talk titled “The Operatic Mezzo-soprano” will also be held at 6.45pm on the same day, offering insights into Garanča’s artistry. Admission is free, with limited seating on a first-come, first-served basis.
This concert is part of the second Asia+ Festival, which runs from September to November, showcasing the rich arts and culture of nearly 30 countries from Asia and beyond.
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