Russian Soprano Ekaterina Bakanova Ready for Breakthrough to

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
11 February 2015
Russian Soprano Ekaterina Bakanova
Ready for Breakthrough to the Very Top
Turin/Vienna – 2015 is to become the year of the breakthrough for young Russian opera
soprano Ekaterina Bakanova. In July, she will make her Royal Opera debut in “Covent
Garden” as Musetta in “La Bohème” alongside Anna Netrebko. In November she will take
the leading role in “Anna Bolena” in Cagliari, Italy, and immediately after fly over to Beijing
to rehearse Valencienne in “The Merry Widow” at the NCPA (premiere: January 2016).
Bakanova also continues her several years lasting successful collaboration in Venice with
the “Teatro La Fenice” by impersonating Violetta in “La Traviata” once again in April and
May this year.
Tomorrow, Thursday 12 February, the largest Italian broadcaster RAI will broadcast live on
radio and television from the premiere of W.A. Mozart's “The Marriage of Figaro” with
Ekaterina Bakanova in the role of Susanna at the Teatro Regio in Turin.
In Italy, the Russian soprano (born 1984) is already regarded as an absolute insiders' tip: whether
in Venice, Turin, Trieste, Torre di Lago (Puccini Festival), Rome or Palermo – her expressive acting
and her precise, honey soft and warm soprano consistently brought her sensational reviews in the
motherland of opera. No wonder that conductors such as Jean-Christophe Spinosi (Paris, Toulon,
“Ensemble Matheus”), director Henning Brockhaus and opera houses such as the NCPA Beijing or
the Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro have already become aware of her: “She is a singer of
exceptional quality, and in shortest time will be joining the ranks among the great soloists of our
time”, judged the Brazilian magazine “Sempre Opera”.
With the RAI broadcast on Thursday, soprano Bakanova – who lives in Austria – is ready to melt
the hearts of all opera enthusiasts. And with her debut in London this summer she firmly plans to
take her leap to the very top.
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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
11 February 2015
“With my singing I intend to open a wide emotional world for my audience. And also to me it is very
important that, by doing so, I can awaken a lively enthusiasm for opera in younger people”, thus
comments Ekaterina Bakanova her ambitions.
Broadcast schedule:
RAI 3 (live): Thu, 12 February 2015, 20.00 p.m.
RAI 5: Thu, 19 February 2015, 21.00 p.m., “Opera” program
All information and high resolution photo material available for download
www.ekaterinabakanova.com/press
» On the following pages: Schedule, video impressions, biography & more
We kindly thank you for your press coverage!
Contact for replies and interview requests
Frank Stahmer (MA)
P +43 699 81127040
E [email protected]
Ekaterina Bakanova 2015 Schedule (Highlights)
12 – 24 February 2015 | Teatro Regio di Torino, Turin, Italy
Susanna in “Le nozze di Figaro” (W.A.Mozart)
02 & 03 April 2015 | Mozart Requiem, coproduction with RAI Symphony Orchestra
24 & 26 April / 03, 06, 09 May 2015 | Teatro La Fenice di Venezia, Venice, Italy
Violetta in “La Traviata” (G. Verdi)
09, 11, 13, 16 July 2015 | Royal Opera House Covent Garten, London
Musetta in “La Bohème” (G. Puccini)
November 2015 | Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
Anna Bolena “Anna Bolena“ (G. Donizetti)
- exact dates tba.
January 2016 | NCPA Beijing, China
Valancienne in “The Merry Widow” (Franz Lehár)
- exact dates tba.
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11 February 2015
Video Impressions
Violetta Valery in La Traviata – “Dammi tu forza o cielo ... Amami Alfredo”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVspfoBj6KQ
Musetta in La Bohème - “Quando me'n vo'...”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5rg6Isa9A4
Gilda in Rigoletto - “Caro Nome”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNxkZMaR4SI
Social Media
http://www.youtube.com/BakanovaSoprano
http://www.facebook.com/EkaterinaBakanova
Biography EKATERINA BAKANOVA
www.ekaterinabakanova.com
Born 1984 in Mednogorsk/Ural in Russia, Ekaterina Bakanova grew up in Moscow where she
began her studies at the "Gnesin State College" in the class of Prof. Margharita Landa in 2001.
Subsequently, the young artist studied with M° Gioacchino Gitto in Rome.
During her first years of study (2001-2004) Ekaterina participated in
numerous concerts and in 2004 won the first prize in the Moscow
singing contest "Beautiful Voice" as well as the gold medal and the
first prize in the competition "The Delphic Games" in Chisinau
(Moldova). In 2005, she continued her studies at the Music
Academy "Gnesin" and won the 3rd prize in the competition "Irina
Bogaceva" in St. Petersburg. After that she was given the role of a
soloist in the ensemble of the Moscow music theatre company
"Novaya Opera". There, in 2006, she debuted in her first leading
role as the "Queen of the Night" in Mozart's "Magic Flute", directed
by the renowned director Achim Freyer. In the same year Bakanova
occurred on the Russia-wide television gala "The Great Ones".
The year of 2007 catapulted the young singer to Italy where she won the first prize at the
international singing competition “I Giovani e l'Opera” (dedicated to Giuseppe Di Stefano) and gave
her international debuted at the Festival “Luglio Musicale Trapanese”, Sicily, as Gilda in Verdi's
“Rigoletto”, which was received with extraordinary success. Soon after, she was appointed winner
of the international competition "Maria Caniglia" in Sulmona, Italy, and was awarded the
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11 February 2015
international junior prize "Triumph" in Moscow.
In 2008 she sang Gilda both on the stage of "Novaya Opera" Theatre and in Ascoli Piceno, Italy. In
October 2008, she participated in the opening gala concert of the Warsaw National Opera, debuted
as Rosina in Rossini's "Barber of Seville" at the "Novaya Opera", and won the first prize at the
“International Singing Competition of Bilbao” in Spain.
In April 2009, she impersonated Sophie in
"Werther" (with Giuseppe Filianoti in the
title role) at the Teatro Cilea of Reggio
Calabria (Italy) and in mid 2009 sang the
role of Gilda in Verdi's “Rigoletto” ten times
at the “St. Margarethen” summer festival in
the Roman Quarry in Austria, where she
was equally sensationally received both by
the audience and the media. In this role,
then barely 25-year-old soprano continued
her extraordinary success story at the
“Carlo Felice” opera house in Genova. On 24 June, 2010 she was invited as special guest to the
open-air gala concert in the park of the “Esterhazy Palace” in Eisenstadt/Austria to perform
alongside top stars like Marcelo Alvarez, Barbara Frittoli or Elina Garanca. In July/August 2010,
she again sang at the opera festival “St. Margarethen” in Austria, this time as “Queen of the Night”
in Mozart's “Magic Flute” and confirmed her outstanding achievements.
Also in 2010, Ekaterina Bakanova premiered at the
Wexford Opera Festival in Ireland as “Barce” in
Smetana's “Hubicka” and also sang the role of “Serpina”
in “La Serva Padrona” by Pergolesi as part of the
Christmas concerts in Riga 2010 under the baton of
Maestro KM Chichon. In 2011 she won the 2nd prize at
the International Singing Competition in Riva del Garda
as well as the Audience Award at the 30th “International
Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition” in Vienna
where she also received the special jury prize from the
Vienna State Opera and the “Chambre Professionnelle
des Directeurs d'Opéra”.
In March 2012, Ekaterina debuted as Angelica in Joseph
Haydn's “Orlando Paladino” at the Théâtre de Chatelet, Paris, with conductor Jean-Chrsistophe
Spinosi and choreographer Kamel Ouali. In June Ekaterina made her debut as Micaela in
“Carmen” at the opera house “La Fenice” in Venice and was, due to their outstanding performance,
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11 February 2015
immediately after engaged as Musetta, Violetta Valery and Micaela again for the 2013/14 season.
In addition, she also made her debut as Gilda at the Leipzig Opera, Germany in November 2012.
In January 2013, Ekaterina Bakanova won the most famous Italian song contest "As.Li.Co" in
Como and went on tour across the region of Lombardy/Italy with the leading role as “Lucia di
Lammermoor”.
In 2014, Ekaterina Bakanova crossed the ocean and was invited by the Theatro Municipal in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil, to perform as Micaela in “Carmen”, followed by her China-debut as Norina in
Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" at the NCPA Beijing. She also took over the leading role in Henning
Brockaus' and Josef Svoboda's “Traviata of the Mirrors” adaption in Udine, Italy, as well as at the
“Opera Astana”, Azerbaijan.
Reviews at at glance
www.ekaterinabakanova.com/?page_id=10
Contact
Frank Stahmer (MA)
P +43 699 81127040
E [email protected]
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