NEWS
NEWS FLASH
Missed Adrianne at the Orford Festival?
Miss your chance to see Adrianne perform
at the Orford Festival? Catch a repeat performance on Radio-Canada
August 25th on Espace Musique, 8pm - 10pm EST.
Orford Festival (Gilles-Lefebvre hall)
Adrianne performs with Brian Zeger (piano)
Schubert and R. Strauss's Leider; Wagner's Wesendonck
Lieder; Poulenc's Fiançailles pour rire.
Listen
here
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Adrianne's role debut as Die Kaiserin
in Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten April 2010
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"Lyrical" and "Luminous"
Adrianne debuts as Die Kaiserin in Die Frau ohne Schatten
at the Teatro Comunale in Florence
See
more photos in the performance gallery
"In the title role, Adrianne Pieczonka
proves once more what delightful interpretations can be accomplished
with the astute blend of accuracy, diligence, sensitivity and warmth
which are at the heart of her artistic / professional philosophy.
Her warm silvery tone seemed to come from another world and touched
the heart deeply. The lightness of the florid passages went hand
in hand with her generous tone in the dramatic passages." (Opernglas,
June 2010)
"Adrianne Pieczonka's Kaiserin is particularly
lyrical, her radiant voice very well suited for the Strauss repertoire.
Especially intense was also the finale 'ich will nicht' in which
she affirms the happiness which is not based on the suffering of
others." (Teatro.org, 13 May 2010)
"The staging (direction, scenery, costumes)
by Yannis Kokkos was very beautiful, as much for its oriental and
fairy-tale overtones... as for the intensity and impressive accuracy
of the singing, in particular of the two protagonists, Adrianne
Pieczonka (the Empress) and the powerful Elena Pankratova (the wife
of Barak), whose ideal voices and stage presence defined and blended
the otherworldly luminosity of the first and the bizarre and resonant
humanity of the second." (Giornale della Musica, 30 April 2010)
"Also superb was the Empress of Adrianne
Pieczonka" (La Repubblica, 1 May 2010)
"Mehta brought together a cast of homogenous
voices for their power. Standouts are Adrianne Pieczonka, a wonderful
and expressive Empress….." (Il Giornale, 1 May 2010)
"…the soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, the Empress,
with great personality and soaring high notes…" (Il Giornale della
Toscana, 1 May 2010)
"The luminous Adrianne Pieczonka…." (l'Unità,
1 May 2010)
"…thanks to the excellent voice of Adrianne
Pieczonka…." (Avvenire, 1 May 2010)
"The singers are excellent: Adrianne Pieczonka
has a full and supple voice for the role of the Empress…" (La Stampa,
4 May 2010)
The two protagonists were magnificent, the
luminous and soaring Empress of Adrianne Pieczonka and …." (La Nazione,
1 May 2010)
"Greatly appreciated are the interpretations
of the highest level of the two sopranos: Adrianne Pieczonka was
an esteemed Elisabetta in Don Carlo in 2004, a role she alternated
with Barbara Frittoli. In this production she took on the role of
the Empress - vocal sureness, understandably somewhat cautious at
the beginning, but with progressive abandon and total control over
the role." (OperaClick, 8 May 2010)
Adrianne Pieczonka wins 2010 JUNO Award!
Adrianne Pieczonka wins her first JUNO Award
this past weekend. Her Puccini CD won the 2009 JUNO for Classical
Album of The Year: Vocal or Choral Performance.
Lohengrin wins DISC OF THE YEAR
and the OPERA AWARD at the 2010 BBC Music Magazine Awards
"Adrianne Pieczonka's Elsa is also scrupulously
delivered, once again with a delicacy and ethereality that summon
up the character in the mind's eye, yet with piercing potency where
necessary...it surely merits a place among the most beautifully
sung." (Opera, June 2009)
Watch
the awards online, orginally broadcast April 13
JUNO Award nomination!
Adrianne Pieczonka's "illuminating"
Puccini recording is nominatied for CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
VOCAL OR CHORAL PERFORMANCE at the 2010 JUNO Awards. The JUNO Awards
take place
April 17 & 18 - check back for updates!
Photos from Simon Boccanegra
are now up in the performance gallery
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A. Pieczonka & P. Domingo
(© Marty Sohl)
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Check out Adrianne's performance
photo gallery to see photos of
Adrianne as Amelia from the Metropolitan Opera's production of Simon
Boccangera.
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Adrianne "Shimmering"
in Simon Boccanegra with the Metropolitan Opera
"Following her successful debut as Lisa (Pique
Dame) in 2004 and several appearances as Sieglinde, Adrianne Pieczonka
returned to the Met in the role of Maria Boccanegra (alias Amelia
Grimaldi) and conquered once again the public thanks to her cristalline
voice, so well suited to the purity and innocence of the character.
When full, this voice was of great beauty, and in the Council scene,
had the capacity to become significantly larger. Personally, I found
her at her best in the final scene, when the daughter is truly grief-stricken
before the imminent death of her adored father." (L'opera, March
2010)
"...her sound is one of sheer beauty,
with gleaming high notes, and her Amelia was fully formed dramatically."
(Musical America, 21 January 2010)
"As Maria/Amelia, the Canadian soprano
Adrianne Pieczonka was splendid, singing with clear, shimmering,
pitch-perfect sound and lovely phrasing." (New York Times,
20 January 2010)
"...a winning Amelia with gleaming notes."
(Associated Press, 19 January 2010)
Interview: Adrianne Pieczonka -
The Diva Next Door
Adrianne sat down with musicalcriticism.com
a few days before her debut as Amelia Grimaldi in Verdi's Simon
Boccanegra at the Metropolitan Opera in New York read
it here.
Adrianne will join Dame Kiri Te
Kanawa and Nina Stemme in a Singers Round Table discussion during
the first intermission of Stiffelio on 'Saturday Afternoon at the
Opera', January 30. 2:05 to
2:30pm
If you can't get to New York, Adrianne Pieczonka
will come to you in HD!
On February 6, 2010, Adrianne will be featured
on the Metropolitan Opera's HD broadcast of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra.
Click
here to find the cinema closest
to you!
Catch Adrianne on CBC Radio Two's This
is My Music on Saturday December 19, 2009, 10 am ET. Listen
here
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A. Pieczonka & S. O'Neill
(© Felix Sanchez)
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"Radiant" Elsa in Houston
"The contrast between Goerke's voice
and that of Pieczonka’s, two voices of both purity and power,
was notable. Both voices exhibit the style that I have characterized
as bel canto Wagnerian singing, one of the features of the current
millenium that make contemporary Wagnerian performances so exciting."
(Operawarhorses.com, 15 November 2009)
"With her thick and creamy soprano,
Adrianne Pieczonka makes an ideal Elsa, the ultimate damsel in
distress." (Houston Press, 3 November 2009)
"Pieczonka's radiant soprano conveys
Elsa's purity and dignity. She convincingly enacts the heroine's
troubled state - first as woman wrongly accused, then as one increasingly
tormented by her husband's secret. She is joyous celebrating Lohengrin
as her redeemer; righteous challenging wicked Ortrud." (Huston
Chonicle Herald, 1 November 2009)
"Adrianne Pieczonka possesses a gorgeous,
bell-like voice that is perfect for Elsa. Her dynamic range is
truly staggering, dominating the massed forces at the end of the
first act then singing with childlike purity when she next appears
in act two." (Concerto.net, 30 October 2009)
Catch Adrianne on CBC Radio Two's Saturday
Afternoon at the Opera on Saturday October 10 to talk about her
new Puccini CD. The interview will be available at 3 PM ET on
cbc.ca/sato.
New
Puccini CD Available Now!
Adrianne's much anticipated all-Puccini
recording is already available. Among the highlights are her "radiant
and effortless purity" as Tosca (LA Times) as well as much-loved
arias from La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Manon Lescaut among other
favourites.
The first reviews are in!
"Pieczonka brings these strengths
to Puccini, and they help set her apart from her considerable
competition in this repertoire. The irrefutable power, refinement
and generosity of her voice inform every phrase on this disc.
It is beautiful singing. Some of the arias are superbly dramatic,
and there's a largeness of scale here that is quintessentially
operatic and never commonplace." *DISC
OF THE WEEK* (The Globe and Mail, 22 December 2009)
"The voice itself is a thing of great
beauty, and her technique is reassuringly complete and polished…
Pieczonka's excellent musicianship is evident in every phrase
she sings, and her direct, unfussy approach illuminates the music
without unnecessary melodrama… Throughout the programme, the soprano's
technique is impeccable, offering shaded dynamics, attention to
the texts, and unwaveringly excellent pitch." (David
Laviska, MusicalCriticism.com, 2 December 2009)
"It is, however, a special piece of
luck when these arias are sung by a singer with so much musical
understanding and devotion, not to mention a radiant and powerful
voice. This combination is not to be topped...Her interpretations
and the beauty of tone captivate the listener...Each interpretation
is fresh and new and every phrase is well thought-out, her voice
is likewise always fresh and there are always small details which
make these arias true highlights. There
are two alternative effects this CD can have on the consumer after
listening to her CD: either one could compare her to the other
great soprano Puccini interpreters or one could simply never eject
this CD from your CD player. One thing is certain: This wonderful
CD celebrates Puccini in every way!" (Klassik.com,
17 August 2009)
"Pieczonka wraps her large, honeyed
voice like a thick fur stole around such chestnuts as "O mio babbino
caro" and "Vissi d'arte." She is at the full blossoming of her
huge talents, and everything is technically perfect." (Toronto
Star, 22 September 2009)
"With the right feeling for warmth
and gentle accents, her rendition of "Un bel di" is pleasing.
Especially the explosive ending "io aspetto" brought immediate
goosebumps. Two arias from the opera "Edgar", Pieczonka creates
a wonderful, magical atmosphere. At the end of her "addio, addio
mio dolce amor", the only thing missing is a huge storm of "bravo!"
as they are surely merited in this rendition. The CD is ended
with "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca and the soprano paces herself through
the challenges of the aria, with charming 'piani', sweeping phrases
and much pathos. Adrianne Pieczonka has not produced all that
many CDs in today's very competitive recording market. One should
therefore seize the opportunity to hear her in this recording."
(translation from German - Opernglas, September 2009)
Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with the Berlin
Staatskapelle and Pierre Boulez at Carnegie Hall
"The Eighth calls for eight vocal
soloists; except for the pearly Mater Gloriosa of Sylvia Schwartz,
Boulez's performance was cast with Wagnerians. The bountiful dramatic
soprano of Christine Brewer (Magna Peccatrix) contrasted nicely
with the fresh, jugendlich voice of Adrianne Pieczonka (Una Poenitentium)."
(Opera News, August 2009)
Dora Award Nomination for Adrianne!
Adrianne has received a DORA MAVOR
MOORE Award Nomination for Outstanding Performance in an Opera for
her appearance as Leonora in Fidelio at the Canadian Opera Company
in January 2009. Adrianne won the 2004 DORA in the same catergory
for her performance as Sieglinde in the COC's Die Walküre.
The awards will handed out on Monday June 29, 2009 in Toronto.
Adrianne brings her 'radiant' Tosca to San
Francisco
"In the title role, soprano Adrianne
Pieczonka outdid herself with a gripping, fine-tuned account of
"Vissi d'arte," Tosca's heartfelt aria of aestheticism and self-pity.
Pieczonka...boasts plenty of tonal muscle, and she deployed it
assuredly in the role's more demanding passages." (San
Francisco Chronicle, 4 June 2009)
"Pieczonka's Tosca is the quintessential
diva, rendering her signature arias with ease and verve -- in
the second act, the iconic Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore ("I lived
for art, I lived for love") pretty much brought down the house."
(SF Weekly, 4 June 2009)
"She ranged easily; her high notes
were bull's-eyes - and, overall, her voice had a prismatic quality,
light and color-filled, like Puccini's music itself. You could
hear why she's been moving up through major roles in major houses."
(San Jose Mercury News, 3 June 2009)
May 2009 - Adrianne receives rave reviews
for new Lohengrin CD!
Adrianne
stars as Elsa in a new CD of Lohengrin on the HännslerProfil label.
The recording also features Johan Botha as Lohengrin, Petra Lang
as Ortrud, and Falk Struckmann as Telramund. Semyon Bychkov conducts
the WDR Orchestra and Chorus.
"Adrianne Pieczonka's Elsa is also scrupulously
delivered, once again with a delicacy and ethereality that summon
up the character in the mind's eye, yet with piercing potency where
necessary...it surely merits a place among the most beautifully
sung." (Opera, June 2009)
"Though it is unlikely that any recording
will ever reproduce the thrill of hearing Adrianne Pieczonka live
in a small house, her Elsa here is still enjoyable. Like anyone
who can truly sing the role, she doesn't exactly sound girlish,
but she simulates that effect by singing precisely in tune."
(Opera News, August 2009)
"Adrianne Pieczonka's...distinctive
soprano easily manages Elsa's strangeness, her misapprehension,
her doubts, and her naiveté. She's gorgeous in her opening narrative
and in "Euch luften", stronger in the Love duet and dark when she
realizes what she's done...she's splendid." (Classics
Today, 30 April 2009)
"Johan Botha (Lohengrin) and Adrianne
Pieczonka (as Lohengrin's fatally curious bride) prove themselves
ideal Wagnerians with their powerful, clarion-clear voices."
(ClassicFM, June 2009)
"Adrianne Pieczonka, one of the top
Wagnerian singers of our time, is in fabulous form as Elsa of Brabant
in this majestic reading of Lohengrin." (Toronto
Star, 12 May 2009)
"A glorious sense of line throughout
the Act 2 duet between Adrianne Pieczonka's Elsa and Petra Lang's
Ortrud." (Financial Times, 19 April 2009)
"...there is a radiance to much of [Adrianne
Pieczonka's] singing." (Guardian, 15
May 2009)
Adrianne's Tosca to be seen by thousands:
On
Friday, June 5 Adrianne's performance of TOSCA will be broadcast
live and free to thousands of music-lovers in AT&T Park, home of
the San Francisco Giants baseball team.
2009 marks the 5th year of this
popular event where the audience can enjoy traditional baseball
game fare of hot dogs, peanuts and garlic fries while listening
to glorious opera. Last year 23,000 opera-lovers enjoyed the SF
Opera presentation of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.
Adrianne
makes a "gleaming" Sieglinde in the Metropolitan Opera's
Die Walküre
"Mr. Domingo was lucky to have a wonderful
Sieglinde in the lovely Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, who
brought a gleaming voice, affecting vulnerability and exciting sensuality
to her performance." (New York Times,
April 29, 2009)
Watch for more reviews!
Adrianne wins National Lyric Prize for Best
Female Opera Singer of 2008 at the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo
Awarded to Adrianne for her performance
in the title role of Ariadne auf Naxos in October 2008, the
prize is one of Spain's most prestigious arts awards, determined
by panel of Spanish critics and theatre representatives. The awards
will be handed out at a special ceremony and concert in Oviedo on
July 3, 2009. Other winners include Marcello Alvarez (2008 Best
Male Opera Singer) and a special award to Christa Ludwig honouring
her long and illustrious career.
Adrianne makes a powerful debut as Leonore
in Fidelio at the COC
"Adrianne
Pieczonka sings the title role of Leonore with dramatic and musical
purpose. Pieczonka, one of the top Wagner interpreters of our time,
has an expressive, flexible, velvet-trimmed voice backed up by ample
reserves of steely resolve. Every phrase is gorgeously shaped, every
emotion conveyed with a minimum of fuss and maximum effect."
(Toronto Star, 26 January 2009)
"Soprano Adrianne Pieczonka...has such
deep resources (including a powerfully eloquent voice) for projecting
an invented life." (Globe and Mail, 25
January 2009)
"Adrianne Pieczonka is superb as Leonore.
...full marks go to the flawless Pieczonka and Ketilsson."
(Toronto Sun, 26 January 2009)
"Vocally and dramatically, Pieczonka
finds the woman behind the archetype." (NOW
magazine, 28 January 2009)
Adrianne has just finished recording her
second solo CD which features 16 of Puccini's most famous arias
for the ORFEO label. She is accompanied by the Bavarian Radio Orchestra
conducted by Dan Ettinger.
Look for the release in early 2009!
"...Simply superb as Ariadne"
in Bilbao
"Her elegant interpretation was the
greatest distinction in this production." (El
Correro)
"Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka
is one of most important artists working today and her Ariadne
was simply superb. Last July I wrote about her Ariadne in Munich
(with Damrau as Zerbinetta) and I well remember the audience’s
appreciation of both ladies. This performance equalled that of
Munich. When Ariadne is sung with such beauty, and in such a natural
way, everything seems to be so easy that the audience does not
realize just how exceptional she is. Here we heard a truly wonderful
performance from a great artist in her prime." (Seen
and Heard International, 18 October 2008)
Adrianne's Tosca on Radio-Canada and CBC
Adrianne's critically acclaimed debut as
Tosca will be broadcast on both Radio-Canada's Espace
Musique with Sylvia L'écuyer on October 11, and on CBC
Radio 2's Saturday
Afternoon at the Opera on November 15. Check local listings
for details.
"Adrianne a touching and noble Ariadne"
"As Ariadne and the Prima Donna, Adrianne
Pieczonka was completely convincing, growing stronger vocally
from minute to minute, singing her final scenes with searing intensity."
(Opera News, November 2008)
"Ariadne by contrast is one of Strauss's
imperishable masterpieces, and Munich could hardly fail with the
superbly cast ladies of Robert Carsen's new production: Adrianne
Pieczonka's lyrical, brightly gleaming Prima Donna, Diana Damrau's
dazzlingly sung Zerbinetta and Daniela Sindrams's painfully introverted
but rapturously soaring composer."(The Sunday
Times, 3 August 2008)
"Adrianne Pieczonka's singing was
impeccably pure and iridescent vocally, the kind of silvery tone
one imagines in the abstract for Strauss" (London
Financial Times, 31 July 2008)
"And Adrianne Pieczonka embodied in
voice and stature what the Composer, Poet and audience had anxiously
awaited: with her elegant velvety soprano, she filled the theatre
with her gleaming soaring sound which could also move with lightness
and grace." (Münchner Merkur)
"Adrianne Pieczonka sang with a wonderfully
clear sound, at times intimate at times generous with a round
soaring Strauss line." (Die Welt)
" Canadian Adrianne Pieczonka sang
Ariadne with a wonderfully warm timbre, full of colours..."
(Süddeutsche Zeitung, 26 July 2008)
"…it was a triumph (for Diana Damrau),
and no less for Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, another Bayerische
Staatsoper favourite, who portrayed an particularly generous and
touching Ariadne" (Cyberpress, 25 July
2008)
"Adrianne Pieczonka regally mastered
the role of Ariadne with a touching nobility which was present
even in the most delicate passages..." (Münchner
AZ)
Adrianne stars in a new production of Ariadne
auf Naxos!
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Festival première:
Ariadne auf Naxos
The Bayerische Staatsoper new production
of Ariadne auf Naxos Premières July 24th at the Prinzregententheater.
Staring Adrianne Pieczonka as Ariadne
with Diana Damrau, Burkhard Fritz, Daniela Sindram, Martin
Gantner, Nikolay Borchev
Conductor: Kent Nagano
Stage director: Robert Carsen
Première: Thursday, July 24 2008, 7.00 p.m. Further performances:
Sunday July 27, 7.00 p.m. Wednesday July 30, 7.00 p.m.
Live Radio
Broadcast: Ariadne auf Naxos
On Thursday, July 24 at 7.00 p.m.,
the Radio Bavaria 4th Program will broadcast the première
of Ariadne auf Naxos.
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(Photos: Anne Kirchbach, Germany)
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New recording of Lohengrin
Adrianne stars as Elsa in a new recording
of Lohengrin on the Hännsler label, due to be released in 2009 which
also features Johan Botha as Lohengrin, Petra Lang as Ortrud, and
Falk Struckmann as Telramund. Semyon Bychkov conducts the WDR Orchestra
and Chorus.
Adrianne heats up LA in her debut as Tosca
Adrianne 'radiant' as Tosca
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Adrianne Pieczonka as Tosca with
Juan Pons as Scarpia in the LA Opera production of Tosca,
May 2008 (photo: Robert Millard)
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"Pieczonka was consistently compelling,
a popular and charmingly self-absorbed Tosca drawn, through her
ignorance, into intrigues beyond her ken. Vocally, she delivered
a full-bodied precision and effortless legato throughout the range.
Her "Vissi d'arte" was strong and determined, yet wrung the heart.
It was just the right mix of confidence and vulnerability."
(Downtown LA News, 23 May 2008)
"The company's "Tosca" has been around.
Ian Judge's regularly revived production is 19 years old and returns
with its original tenor, Neil Shicoff, and veteran Juan Pons.
But Tosca is new: Adrianne Pieczonka sang the role for the first
time Saturday. The Canadian soprano will surely be singing it
for a long time. She was radiant. (LA
Times, 19 May 2008) Read
more here 
"Our Tosca, Canadian soprano Adrianne
Pieczonka, was imperious and imposing, mercurial and gorgeous,
impetuous and smitten. A Diva-in-Full. She has a creamy mid-range,
a crystalline top, solid anchoring, she projects effortlessly,
she's got power to burn. In a world in which the value of an extended
ovation has seen continuous hyperinflation, the cheering she received
for "Vissi d'arte" was fully earned. Desperate lyricism defined."
(OC Register, 19 May 2008)
"L.A. Opera accessorizes 'Tosca' revival
with Maria Callas' jewelry"
"HOW do you add sparkle to a fatigued
operatic war horse? Bring out the jewelry and let it shine under
the spotlight...
"To wear this talisman -- I have to pinch
myself," says soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, who shares the role of
Tosca in this revival with Georgina Lukacs. "People were taken aback
by how bright they were during rehearsals. It doesn't bother me,
but I hope it won't be a distraction for the audience."" Read
the full LA Times article
See
Adrianne in the beautiful jewels here
Behind the Curtain with the LA Opera
Adrianne speaks on the LA Opera podcast,
Behind the Curtain, about her role debut as Tosca. "She describes
this monumental moment in her career and why she chose LA Opera
to make such an important step. She talks about her approach to
Tosca and how she tackles the role’s most poignant passages."Listen
to it here
Downtown LA News
Adrianne spoke with the Downtown LA News
about her role debut in Tosca.
"Blood, Passion and the Soprano. Why
Adrianne Pieczonka Gets Emotional Over Puccini's Cinematic 'Tosca'"
Read the full
article
Adrianne has
a new recording!
Beethoven: Ideals of the French Revolution
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Kent Nagano,
Adrianne Pieczonka, Maximilian Schell
Original
work written by author, critic, librettist, and musicologist Paul
Griffiths as a tribute to Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire, features
the OSM and Kent Nagano
"Adrianne Pieczonka makes crystalline
sounds" (The Montreal Gazette, 5 April
2008)
Buy or download the album
here
Adrianne in Ariadne at
the Staatsoper
".....with her lovely timbre, Adrianne
Pieczonka sang movingly into the hearts of the Staatsoper audience"
(Wiener Zeitung, 29 March 2008)
"Adrianne Pieczonka was the highlight
of the evening. Her voice is equally at ease in the highest and
lowest registers and her middle voice simply blooms. Her technique
is flawless, and her clarity of text, her delicate "piani" are
to be marveled at. We have not had such a wonderful Ariadne in
a very, very long time. What a Strauss voice!" (Der
Neue Merkur, 27 March 2008)
Adrianne on the lastest Aldeburgh Connection
CD "Our Own Songs"
Marquis
records have just released the Aldeburgh Connection's newest CD
called "Our own Songs" featuring commissioned works and various
Canadian singers.
Adrianne Pieczonka soprano, Monica Whicher
soprano
Elizabeth Turnbull mezzo, Colin Ainsworth tenor,
Mark Pedrotti baritone
Stephen Ralls & Bruce Ubukata pianos
This CD may be ordered from Marquis
Classics
JANUARY 2008
Adrianne makes a "thrilling" Sieglinde in the Met's Die
Walküre
"The most impressive voice belonged to
American [sic] soprano Adrianne Pieczonka. If Wagner could have
a bel canto soprano, she was it, with a voice of an almost unearthly
purity...her farewell to Brünnhilde (much of it lying down) was
as thrilling as anything I have ever heard in Wagner. Her replacement
for the last performances will be the great Deborah Voight, but
I don’t see how she could be improved upon." (ConcertoNet,
8 January 2008)
"Adrianne Pieczonka...has a clear, silvery
lyric sound that easily penetrates the orchestra, and her acting
is forthright and altogether winning." (Associated
Press, 8 January 2008)
"...the lustrous soprano Adrianne
Pieczonka as Sieglinde." (New
York Times, 9 January 2008)
"Adrianne Pieczonka [was] a strong,
strikingly sensuous Sieglinde." (Time
Out New York, 9 January 2008)
"Adrianne Pieczonka is a lovely Sieglinde,
her voice as fresh and pliable as her youthful appearance."
(Musical America, 9 January 2008)
"[Adrianne Pieczonka] was a touching,
affecting Sieglinde, as well as a strong one. And she showed considerable
musical smarts." (New York Sun,
9 January 2008)
"Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka
was radiant as Sieglinde recognised and fell in love with Siegmund,
the twin brother from whom she had been separated in childhood,
and her voice was thrilling in the third act when, upon being
told that she bears Siegmund's son, Sieglinde abandons her wish
to die and beseeches Brünnhilde and her Valkyrie sisters to save
her." (ClassicalSource, 14 January
2008)
"Soprano Adrianne Pieczonka offered
an exquisitely musical Sieglinde."
(Gay City News, 17 January 2008)
"...a strong-voiced Sieglinde."
(New York Post, 9 January 2008)
"Clifton Forbis as Siegmund and Adrianne
Pieczonka as Sieglinde were in radiant voice throughout."
(New York Daily News, 8 January 2008)
"As the sibling lovers Siegmund and
Sieglinde, Clifton Forbis and Adrianne Pieczonka were youthful
and eminently watchable." (Bloomberg,
8 January 2008)
DECEMBER 2007
Adrianne appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada
Ottawa, December 28, 2007....She is
recognized "for her contributions as one of the top opera singers
of her generation and as an artistic ambassador for Canada."
Adrianne will be invited by Her Excellency the Right Honourable
Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, to Rideau Hall to accept
her insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date.
The Order of Canada was established in 1967
to recognize outstanding achievement and service in various fields
of human endeavour. Appointments are made on the recommendation
of an Advisory Council, chaired by the Chief Justice of Canada.
The Governor General is Chancellor and Principal Companion of the
Order.
MARCH 2007
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Kammersängerin Award from
the Minister for Education, Arts and Culture, Dr. Claudia
Schmied, 27 March 2007
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Adrianne Pieczonka
Named a Kammersängerin
Adrianne has been invested
as the newest Austrian Kammersängerin - the highest award a singer
can receive in Austria. The official ceremony took place in Vienna
on March 27, 2007. Adrianne and tenor Michael Schade (who was also
invested the same day) are the first Canadians to be given this
honoured title.
Originally bestowed by the royal courts,
the title "kammersänger", or chamber singer, is given by the Austrian
government to distinguished singers who have made significant careers
in Austria. On the recommendation of Ioan Holender, Director of
the Vienna State Opera, Adrianne joins an illustrious list of "kammersängers"
including Fritz Wunderlich, Edita Gruberova, Richard Tauber, José
Carreras, and Placido Domingo.
Adrianne has appeared on the stage of the
Vienna State Opera over 100 times.
FEBRUARY 2007
Adrianne's Wagner & Strauss CD Nominated
for a 2007 JUNO
Adrianne received her 1st JUNO nomination
in the category of Classical Album Of The Year: Vocal or Choral
Performance for her recording of arias by Wagner and Strauss.
DECEMBER 2006
Adrianne Named one of the Top 10 Artists of 2006 by the Globe
and Mail
Classical Music critic Robert Everett-Green
picked Adrianne for her banner year of successes, particularly for
her world-renowned performances as Sieglinde both in Bayreuth and
Toronto.
Find out more about Adrianne's spectacular
year in the full
article 
INTERVIEWS WITH ADRIANNE
ADRIANNE
PIECZONKA TALKS ABOUT HER CAREER & BEING SIEGLINDE
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ON THE COVER OF OPERA CANADA
- September 2006 issue
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In conversation with Toronto
Star chief Music Critic John Terauds
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About her phenomenal success
as Sieglinde and her recital program with Robert Everett-Grenn
of the Globe and Mail
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OTHER RECENT PRESS
ACCOLADES
Adrianne "radiantly warm" in Munich
Marschallin
“Canadian Adrianne Pieczonka was radiantly
warm and elegant as the Feldmarschallin; her rich, glorious voice
was totally natural with no operatic pretensions, just like her
acting.” (American Record Guide, November-December
2007)
Verdi Requiem in Los Angeles
“Soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, whose previous
LAO appearances include Countess Almaviva and the Marschallin,
was riveting in the Libera Me, singing with steely resolve and
credibly portraying a character pleading for salvation. Throughout
the Requiem, she displayed focused, gleaming tone, secure top
notes and beautifully floated high pianissimos.” (Opera
News, December 2007)
A "radiant" Elisabeth in the Canadian Opera
Company's Don Carlos
"Pieczonka's powerful soprano positively
glowed with emotion and deep understanding, climaxing in an exquisitely
phrased "Toi qui sous le néant." Pieczonka and Hendricks offered
clear French diction and proved themselves natural, involving
actors." (Opera News, January 2008)
"Soprano Adrianne Pieczonka was looking
radiant and singing magnificently, developing the character of
Elisabeth, Philip's reluctant young queen, visibly and touchingly."
(The Globe & Mail, 15 October 2007)
"The undisputed vocal stars are soprano
Adrianne Pieczonka, as Elisabeth, and bass-baritone Terje Stensvold,
making his COC debut as Philippe II. Both had the vocal power
and dramatic depth to shine in these difficult roles." (Toronto
Star, 15 October 2007)
‘Radiant’ Sieglinde – Adrianne once again
seduces Bayreuth in Die Walkure
"Adrianne Pieczonka's feminine, radiant
and musical Sieglinde proved an oasis of lyricism in a desert
of high voices. " (Opera, November
2007)
"In this wonderful atmosphere, Sieglinde,
radiantly portrayed by Adrianne Pieczonka, creates a very complete
character , vigorous, not deprived of dreams, but with a fragility
that is both passionate and real."(Altamusica,
10 August, 2007)
LUNA, Luminato Festival's Opera Gala
"The Rusalka excerpt (Song to the
Moon) and the famous aria from Catalani's La Wally were sublime
in a different way, so beautifully clear in sound and intention.
Pieczonka is one of those singers whose invocation of the ideal
values of her art somehow makes you feel like a better person,
for participating even vicariously in that appeal."
(Globe and Mail, 11 June 2007)
Last Updated: August 23, 2010
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