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Cultivating the Dramatic Voice with Dolora Zajick
Dolora Zajick, mezzo-soprano; Marc A. Scorca, OPERA America
Making Connections •
3/9/2011
Dramatic singers who are meant to perform the heavy Verdi and Wagner
repertoire must often find career paths outside of the standard training
programs because comprimario roles and chorus work are inappropriate
for their large instruments. In this session, world-renowned dramatic
mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick will discuss the process of nurturing the
dramatic voice and career options for these rarefied Fächer.
About the Author: Hailed as “THE Verdi mezzo of the day” (Opera News) and considered “a mezzo in a class by herself" (New York Times), Dolora Zajick
has been internationally acclaimed as that rare voice type, a true
dramatic Verdi mezzo-soprano, typified by the composer's most famous and
difficult mezzo-soprano roles. In her signature roles as Azucena in Il trovatore, Amneris in Aida and Eboli in Don Carlo,
Zajick has appeared on the world’s greatest stages, including the
Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston
Grand Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera House
Covent Garden, Berlin Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, among
numerous others, as well as at the Salzburg and Orange Festivals, and
the Arena di Verona. A recent addition to Zajick’s already challenging
schedule is her role as vocal pedagogue and general director of The
Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, which she founded in 2007. Born of a
desire to train young dramatic singers and help them reach the world
stage, the Institute is an intensive three-week summer program of study
with leading coaches and voice teachers who understand the nature of
large or unusual voices. It takes place annually in Orem, UT, in July.