Lyric Opera 2023-2024 Issue 5 - Cinderella

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 28 VASILISA BERZHANSKAYA ANGELINA Lyric debut In 2017, the Russian-born mezzo-soprano became a member of the Salzburg Festival’s Young Artists Program and a member of the ensemble at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where she remained until 2019. During the 2023/24 season, she will appear in La forza del destino at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Maometto II at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Anna Bolena at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and La Cenerentola at the Wiener Staatsoper. At the Teatro Massimo di Palermo she will perform Rossini’s Stabat Mater, before making her role debut as Carmen in Vienna and London. Her repertoire includes Angelina in La Cenerentola (Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Theater Basel, Wiener Staatsoper), Marchesa Melibea in Il viaggio a Reims (Rossini Opera Festival, Deutsche Oper Berlin), Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Theater Basel, Mikhailovsky Theatre Saint-Petersburg, Novosibirsk State Opera Theater), Sinaïde in Moïse et Pharaon , Isabella in L’italiana in Algeri (Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, Concertgebouw Amsterdam), Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino), Despina in Così fan tutte (Bolshoi Theatre), Aristea in Vivaldi’s L’Olimpiade (Concertgebouw Amsterdam), Vagaus in Juditha Triumphans (Dutch National Opera Amsterdam), Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Teatro dell’Opera di Roma), Siebel in Gounod’s Faust (Deutsche Oper Berlin), Olga in Eugene Onegin (Deutsche Oper Berlin), Fenena in Nabucco (Deutsche Oper Berlin, Royal Opera House), Diana in Orphée aux enfers (Salzburg Festival), and more. In 2021, Berzhanskaya was honored with the Young Singer of the Year award at the International Opera Awards. JACK SWANSON RAMIRO Lyric debut This season the Minnesota-born tenor will debut with the Houston Grand Opera as Fenton in Falstaff and return to the Norwegian Opera for Ferrando in Così fan tutte and Ramiro in La Cenerentola, as well as to the Rossini Opera Festival for his signature role of Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia . Swanson can also be heard in recital in Montreal and with the Sag Harbor Song Festival. Future engagements include debuts with the Metropolitan Opera and the Staatsoper Hamburg and returns to the Rossini Opera Festival and Houston Grand Opera, all in leading roles. Last season, Swanson premiered the title role in Paola Prestini’s Edward Tulane with the Minnesota Opera, made debuts with the Austin Opera as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia , Utah Opera as Tonio in La fille du régiment (role debut), and Atlanta Opera in La Cenerentola . In concert the tenor joined the Utah Symphony for Carmina Burana and the Mercury Chamber Orchestra in Houston for the tenor solo in Handel’s Messiah, and performed in recital with Matinee Musicale in Duluth, Minnesota. ALESSANDRO CORBELLI DON MAGNIFICO Previously at Lyric: Nine roles since 1986/87, most recently Sulpice/ The Daughter of the Regiment (2023/24) and Dr. Bartolo/ The Barber of Seville (2019/20). Recent highlights for the Turin-born baritone include Michonnet/ Adriana Lecouvreur at La Scala, Don Magnifico/ La Cenerentola in Zurich and Vienna, and Dr. Bartolo/ The Barber of Seville , a role he sang at Lyric in 2013/14, at Arena di Verona, Monte Carlo, Glyndebourne, and San Francisco Opera. Other recent successes include Don Pasquale (Vienna, Glyndebourne, DVD), Taddeo/ L’italiana in Algeri (Salzburg), Dulcamara/ L’elisir d’amore (Lyric, Metropolitan Opera, Madrid, Leipzig, Barcelona, San Francisco, and Houston, among other houses), and Sulpice/ La fille du régiment (Covent Garden, Paris, Metropolitan Opera). Corbelli is also renowned as Michonnet/ Adriana Lecouvreur (Berlin, London, Paris), Don Alfonso/ Così fan tutte (Vienna), Falstaff (Toulouse, Glyndebourne), and Gianni Schicchi (Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne, Turin). In 2017 he sang his first Melitone/ La forza del destino and recently reprised the role in the acclaimed new production at London’s Royal Opera House. He holds the Premio Abbiati, the Italian music critics’ prize, for his Leporello/ Don Giovanni at La Scala and the similarly prestigious Rossini d’Oro for his Don Geronio/ Il Turco in Italia at Pesaro’s Rossini Opera Festival. JOSHUA HOPKINS DANDINI Previously at Lyric: Five roles since 2014/15, most recently Raimbaud/ Le Comte Ory (2022/23) and Belcore/ The Elixir of Love (2021/22). Highlights this season for the Grammy-nominated Canadian baritone include a return to LA Opera to sing Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia and a company debut at La Monnaie de Munt creating the roles of Apollo/Angry Audience Member in the world premiere of Cassandra by Bernard Foccroulle and Matthew Jocelyn. He also returns to the Canadian Opera Company for Malatesta in Don Pasquale . Concert engagements include Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall and Handel’s Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Artist profiles