Dolora Zajick (born 24 March 1952) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer who specializes in the Verdian repertoire. Zajick has been described as having "one of the greatest voices in the history of opera".[1]
Born in Salem, Oregon, but raised in Nevada, Zajick was a pre-med student at the University of Nevada, Reno and member of the Nevada Opera chorus, when her talent was first noticed. Zajick had taken a chorus class as an elective at UNR. She then studied voice with Ted Puffer, conductor of Nevada Opera, whom she credits with developing her vocal technique[2] and guiding her in career moves, especially early in her performing career.[3]
Zajick attended South Tahoe High School in South Lake Tahoe, California, and is a Wall of Honor Recipient. She graduated from the University of Nevada with a Bachelor's and a master's degree in music before going to New York for further music studies at the Manhattan School of Music. In 1982 she won the bronze medal at the 7th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the only non-Soviet medalist that year and the first American musician to place in the contest in over twelve years. After this and graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, she was offered a place in the San Francisco Opera's Merola Program, she debuted with the San Francisco Opera as Azucena in Il Trovatore in 1986, which launched her to international acclaim.
In August, 2014 Zajick's first public composition, an opera scene titled "Roads to Zion" was premiered at The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph in San Jose, CA. The work was written for performance during the celebrations by the Carmelite Order of the 500th anniversary of the birth of St Teresa of Avila and is available in a commercial recording. It sets a text derived from Psalm 84 and is in three parts: 1) "A Soul Yearns", 2) "A Soul Takes Flight" and 3) "A Soul Returns". The first and third parts contain dialogues between soloists and choir, while the middle movement is purely instrumental.
Reviewers praised the "accomplished vocal and instrumental writing ... that delivered its message in a resonant, almost beatific, glow"[9] and noted that "this music created an intense experience. Its impressive orchestration and unified architectural design made it a most fascinating piece".[10]
1989: Verdi's Aida (Amneris) with Aprile Millo as Aida. Metropolitan Opera, James Levine. Met Opera on Demand SD streaming video; also Deutsche Grammophon DVD
2009: Verdi's Aida (Amneris) with Violeta Urmana as Aida. Metropolitan Opera, Daniele Gatti. Met Opera on Demand HD streaming video; Decca DVD
2011: Verdi's Il trovatore (Azucena) with Sondra Radvanovsky as Leonora. Metropolitan Opera, Marco Armiliato. Met Opera on Demand HD streaming video; also Deutsche Grammophon DVD
2015: Verdi's Il trovatore (Azucena) with Anna Netrebko as Leonora. Metropolitan Opera, Marco Armiliato. Met Opera on Demand HD streaming video
NotesEdit
^Midgette, Anne (February 21, 2007). "A Mezzo-Soprano Who's Determined to Do It Her Way, With or Without Star Turns". The New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
^"Powerhouse. Mezzo Dolora Zajick Always Delivers," Matthew Gurewitsch, Opera News, March 1996.
^"That Rare Vocal Bird, a True Verdi Mezzo", The New York Times, February 11, 1990.
^Tommasini, Anthony (March 13, 2011). "Betting on Not-So-Sure Things: Love and a Trick to Win at Cards". The New York Times.
^Gregson, David (November 29, 2010). "Los Angeles Opera presents Wagner's Lohengrin". Opera West.
^Laura Furones. "What is in a name? Lohengrin at the Teatro Real in Madrid". www.bachtrack.com.
^review by Jose M. Irurzun. "Lohengrin Still Showing Mortier's Influence". seenandheard-international.com.
^"A chilling Dialogues of the Carmelites from Washington National Opera". DC Theatre Scene. 23 February 2015.
^"St. Teresa Honored in Dolora Zajick's Roads to Zion".
Media related to Dolora Zajick at Wikimedia Commons
Official website
The Institute for Young Dramatic Voices
Interview with Dolora Zajick by Bruce Duffie, January 3, 1989 (Very early in her career)
Interview with Terry Gross on NPR's "Fresh Air", 2014
October 20, 2023
dolora, zajick, born, march, 1952, american, mezzo, soprano, opera, singer, specializes, verdian, repertoire, zajick, been, described, having, greatest, voices, history, opera, contents, early, life, career, composer, recordings, streaming, video, notes, exter. Dolora Zajick born 24 March 1952 is an American mezzo soprano opera singer who specializes in the Verdian repertoire Zajick has been described as having one of the greatest voices in the history of opera 1 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Composer 4 Recordings 4 1 CD 4 2 DVD and streaming video 5 Notes 6 External linksEarly life EditThis section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Dolora Zajick news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Born in Salem Oregon but raised in Nevada Zajick was a pre med student at the University of Nevada Reno and member of the Nevada Opera chorus when her talent was first noticed Zajick had taken a chorus class as an elective at UNR She then studied voice with Ted Puffer conductor of Nevada Opera whom she credits with developing her vocal technique 2 and guiding her in career moves especially early in her performing career 3 Zajick attended South Tahoe High School in South Lake Tahoe California and is a Wall of Honor Recipient She graduated from the University of Nevada with a Bachelor s and a master s degree in music before going to New York for further music studies at the Manhattan School of Music In 1982 she won the bronze medal at the 7th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow the only non Soviet medalist that year and the first American musician to place in the contest in over twelve years After this and graduating from the Manhattan School of Music she was offered a place in the San Francisco Opera s Merola Program she debuted with the San Francisco Opera as Azucena in Il Trovatore in 1986 which launched her to international acclaim Career EditThis section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Dolora Zajick news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp Zajick performing one of her signature roles the gypsy woman Azucena in Il Trovatore Berlin July 2016In addition to the role of Azucena Zajick is well known for her interpretations of Amneris and Eboli in Verdi s Aida and Don Carlos respectively Zajick has also performed in other Verdi roles including Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth She has also appeared as the Princess in Cilea s Adriana Lecouvreur Marfa in Moussorgsky s Khovanshchina Jezibaba in Dvorak s Rusalka Joan of Arc in Tchaikovsky s The Maid of Orleans Santuzza in Mascagni s Cavalleria rusticana Adalgisa in Bellini s Norma Dalila in Saint Saens Samson et Dalila the title role in Massenet s Herodiade and Leonor in Donizetti s La favorite In 2005 she created the role of Elvira Griffiths in Tobias Picker s An American Tragedy at the Metropolitan Opera New York In recent years while continuing to sing her established repertoire she has added the roles of the Countess in Tchaikovsky s The Queen of Spades 4 La Zia Principessa in Puccini s Suor Angelica made her Wagner debut as Ortrud in Lohengrin 5 6 7 her Poulenc debut as Madame de Croissy in Dialogues des Carmelites 8 and her Britten debut as Mrs Grose in The Turn of the Screw Composer EditThis section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Dolora Zajick news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message In August 2014 Zajick s first public composition an opera scene titled Roads to Zion was premiered at The Cathedral Basilica of St Joseph in San Jose CA The work was written for performance during the celebrations by the Carmelite Order of the 500th anniversary of the birth of St Teresa of Avila and is available in a commercial recording It sets a text derived from Psalm 84 and is in three parts 1 A Soul Yearns 2 A Soul Takes Flight and 3 A Soul Returns The first and third parts contain dialogues between soloists and choir while the middle movement is purely instrumental Reviewers praised the accomplished vocal and instrumental writing that delivered its message in a resonant almost beatific glow 9 and noted that this music created an intense experience Its impressive orchestration and unified architectural design made it a most fascinating piece 10 A second work Birdsong was premiered by Chanticleer in March 2015 at the 2nd National Youth Choral Festival in San Francisco s Davies Symphony Hall This piece is a setting of a poem from the anthology I Never Saw Another Butterfly Recordings EditRecording dates are used rather than release dates CD Edit 1986 Verdi s La forza del destino Preziosilla Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala Riccardo Muti EMI 1987 Verdi s Messa da Requiem Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala Riccardo Muti EMI 1990 Verdi s Aida Amneris Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus James Levine Sony 1991 Verdi s Il trovatore Azucena Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus James Levine Sony 1991 Prokofiev s Ivan the Terrible Alexander Nevsky Nevsky London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Mstislav Rostropovich Sony 1992 Verdi s Don Carlo Eboli Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus James Levine Sony 1994 Massenet s Herodiade Herodiade San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus Valery Gergiev Sony 1996 Metropolitan Opera Gala James Levine s 25th Anniversary Deutsche Grammophon CD 1998 Dvorak s Rusalka Jezibaba Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Sir Charles Mackerras Decca 1999 Dolora Zajick The art of the dramatic mezzo soprano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Charles Rosenkrans Telarc 2014 Living Water celebrating St Teresa of Avila s 500th Birthday including Roads to Zion CD available from Carmel of Reno website 11 DVD and streaming video Edit 1988 Verdi s Il trovatore Azucena with Eva Marton as Leonora Metropolitan Opera James Levine Met Opera on Demand SD streaming video also Deutsche Grammophon DVD 1989 Verdi s Aida Amneris with Aprile Millo as Aida Metropolitan Opera James Levine Met Opera on Demand SD streaming video also Deutsche Grammophon DVD 1996 James Levine s 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala Metropolitan Opera James Levine Deutsche Grammophon DVD B0004602 09 1998 Pavarotti s 30th Anniversary Gala Metropolitan Opera James Levine Met Opera on Demand SD streaming video 2008 Verdi s Don Carlo Eboli Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus Daniele Gatti Hardy Classic Video 2009 Verdi s Aida Amneris with Violeta Urmana as Aida Metropolitan Opera Daniele Gatti Met Opera on Demand HD streaming video Decca DVD 2011 Verdi s Il trovatore Azucena with Sondra Radvanovsky as Leonora Metropolitan Opera Marco Armiliato Met Opera on Demand HD streaming video also Deutsche Grammophon DVD 2014 Dvorak s Rusalka Jezibaba with Renee Fleming as Rusalka Metropolitan Opera Yannick Nezet Seguin Met Opera on Demand HD streaming video 2015 Verdi s Il trovatore Azucena with Anna Netrebko as Leonora Metropolitan Opera Marco Armiliato Met Opera on Demand HD streaming videoNotes Edit Midgette Anne February 21 2007 A Mezzo Soprano Who s Determined to Do It Her Way With or Without Star Turns The New York Times Retrieved February 2 2018 Powerhouse Mezzo Dolora Zajick Always Delivers Matthew Gurewitsch Opera News March 1996 That Rare Vocal Bird a True Verdi Mezzo The New York Times February 11 1990 Tommasini Anthony March 13 2011 Betting on Not So Sure Things Love and a Trick to Win at Cards The New York Times Gregson David November 29 2010 Los Angeles Opera presents Wagner s Lohengrin Opera West Laura Furones What is in a name Lohengrin at the Teatro Real in Madrid www bachtrack com review by Jose M Irurzun Lohengrin Still Showing Mortier s Influence seenandheard international com A chilling Dialogues of the Carmelites from Washington National Opera DC Theatre Scene 23 February 2015 St Teresa Honored in Dolora Zajick s Roads to Zion Opera Today Dolora Zajick Premieres Composition www operatoday com Home Page Carmel of Reno Carmel of Reno External links Edit nbsp Media related to Dolora Zajick at Wikimedia Commons Official website The Institute for Young Dramatic Voices Interview with Dolora Zajick by Bruce Duffie January 3 1989 Very early in her career Interview with Terry Gross on NPR s Fresh Air 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dolora Zajick amp oldid 1166184037, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
