Violeta Urmana
Violeta Urmana is the most renowned prima donna in Lithuanian opera, who sings major roles in operas by Italian and German composers. Her first roles were Kundry in Wagner’s Parsifal and Eboli in Don Carlos, which opened the doors for her on to prestigious stages. Having begun her career as a mezzo-soprano, Urmana sang soprano parts for over a decade, starting from 2000, but she has recently returned to mezzo-soprano roles. The conductor Riccardo Muti has referred to her as ‘a singer of very high calibre, currently probably the most beautiful mezzo-soprano in the world. A voice like hers is a rarity. Urmana’s vocal possibilities are very broad. Her range is very wide, especially in the higher register. When we speak about her singing, we are not speaking merely of a mezzo-soprano or soprano, but about a voice of exceptional beauty and possibilities, and about a singer’s extraordinary talent.’ Violeta Urmana performs at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Teatro Real in Madrid, Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Paris Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vienna State Opera, La Scala in Milan, the Royal Opera House in London, and at festivals in Bayreuth, Salzburg, Aix-en-Provence, Edinburgh and the BBC Proms.
Urmana has received numerous awards, including the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Award for Singers in London, and the Österreichische Kammersängerin title in Vienna. In Lithuania, she has received the highest recognition by being awarded the Third Class Order of Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius has recently awarded her an honorary degree.
Violeta Urmana’s music is available at: www.pakartot.lt/project/violeta-urmanaviciute