 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NEWSREVIEWS: Adrianne as Tosca at the Canadian Opera Company
"[Pieczonka] gave a luminous performance of Vissi d’arte in Act Two, sung while on her knees." (Globe and Mail, 23 January 2012) "...with vivid acting, a dignified bearing, and gleaming high notes [Adrianne Pieczonka] made a formidable impression." (National Post, 22 January 2012) Sunday Night at the Opera: ToscaClassical 96.fm's Alexa Petrenko invites Adrianne to share hosting duties on Sunday Night at the Opera. Broadcast date Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 9 PM. Adrianne will be chatting about her upcoming appearance as Puccini's tragic diva, Tosca. Watch Adrianne discuss how the character of Tosca differs from the other roles she's known for in this video by the Canadian Opera Company. Tosca runs at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Jan. 21 to Feb. 25. Buy tickets and learn more: All photos and videos from the COC's 2008 production of Tosca. (from the COC YouTube) UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTSFollowing her highly successful tour of Japan with the Bavarian Staatsoper Orchestra and Kent Nagano and a run as Senta in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer in Hamburg, Adrianne is in Berlin on November 5th for Deutsche Oper's 18th annual Opera Gala in support of the AIDS Foundation, one of the most important charity functions to be hosted in the capital. The Gala will be broadcast on 3 SAT on November 26th at 8:15pm and on RBB (Berlin) on December 4th. Adrianne then returns to her hometown of Burlington for a special concert with Laura Tucker and the Burlington Civic Chorale on November 10th at 8pm at the brand new Performing Arts Centre. December sees Adrianne in recital with pianist
Stephen Ralls for the Women's Musical Club of Toronto, in a concert
performance of Ariadne auf Naxos in Valencia, Spain, before she
returns home for a special Christmas concert with the Orpheus Choir
at Koerner Hall in Toronto.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
In "velvet" voice in Toronto
Since conquering a bout of laryngitis that kept Adrianne away from the opening night performance of Ariadne auf Naxos at the COC, she has since returned to the role and given a superb recital at Koerner Hall!
AS ARIADNE:
"Pieczonka stepped back into the opera on May 2 [after recovering from laryngitis] - and on Thursday evening gave a performance so convincing it was hard to imagine she's ever had a vocal problem in her life. in the second and final act her sumptuous soprano filled out Richard Strauss's long lines and glorious crescendos with complete security and control. She was an ideal foil to the coloratura of soprano Jane Archibald as Zerbinetta, who stopped the show with her brilliant vocal pyrotechnics. Together they represented what this opera is all about: the contrast between deep and profound art, and light, delightful entertainment." (Globe and Mail, 13 May 2011)"Pieczonka's full lyric soprano is ideally suited to Ariadne, and there was much to enjoy in her luminous performance...the voice ringing out securely with its trademark gleaming tone. The high B in the opening of "Es gibt ein Reich" was glorious. She threw herself into the role and sang a moving final duet with tenor Richard Margison (Bacchus)." (La Scena Musicale, 4 May 2011)
IN RECITAL WITH BRIAN ZEGER, PIANO:
"The soprano combines a beautiful voice with a sincerity and simplicity that touches the heart - an artist without artifice. On this particular evening, the extremely receptive audience was made up of voice fans of course, but also friends and family of the singer, gathered there to honour and enjoy an evening of music-making. It was an old-fashioned "love-in." The voice was clear and strong, the tone pure, with its trademark gleam. Her interpretation was straightforward, rather generalized in its emotional expression, the text communicated with unpretentious directness." (La Scena Musicale, 13 May 2011)
Read the full review here"Die Forelle (The Trout) sparkled with fluid vocal agility; and Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel) gradually built up to a frantic climax. Throughout the set, the soprano's voice was like velvet. ...There were two groups of Strauss songs- Pieczonka revealed a layer of steel beneath the velvet. She has the kind of powerful voice that can readily (or even inadvertently) be "weaponized," with harsh consequences for listeners. But this she did not do; rather, she tempered her tone with an endearing warmth. ...Pieczonka embraced the emotional texts [of Wesendonck Lieder] in ways that were both profound and subtle. Changes in dynamics and texture were skillfully handled - especially in the songs Stehe Still! (Stand Still!) and Schmerzen (Sorrows). She also seemed entirely comfortable with Wagner's unsettled, chromatic musical language. ...Similarly, in the second set of Strauss songs - Du meines herzens Kronelein, Morgen, Wir beide wollen springen, and Zueignung - Pieczonka was committed to the poetry and the musical line. She concluded the last song, Zueignung (Dedication) with a dramatic flourish that called for, and received, a spontaneous standing ovation." (Globe and Mail, 8 May 2011)
Read the full review hereThe very model of a vocal recital: "Song recitals often start out rather cautiously with "easy" or warmup pieces. Not so this time. Ms. Pieczonka achieved full lift-off with Schubert's "Ganymed" and never looked back. She expressed a variety of vocal moods, such as in the despairing "Du liebst mich nicht" (You do not love me), without overdoing it. "Gretchen am Spinnrade" started off hollow-toned and its dramatic structure was grippingly articulated. The second half began with Wagner's Wesendonck-Lieder. Here again she adroitly captured the right tone and mood of each number." (ConcertoNet, 2 June 2011)
Read the full review here
Portrait
of Adrianne featured at Toronto Exhibition The Art of Canadian
Music
By renowned Toronto Portrait artist Tadeusz Biernot, Adrianne's portrait will be on display as part of an exhibition devoted to contemporary portraits of Canadian artists at Toronto's John B. Aird Gallery (900 Bay Street) from March 8th to April 1, 2011.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Adrianne reprises her triumphant role of Senta in Der
Fliegender Holländer at the Vienna State Opera
"In the heart of this production was the debut (sic) of Adrianne Pieczonka as Senta. She was rightfully cheered and celebrated for her remarkable intensity and power as we followed her through her dream world. With flawless, cultivated vocality her voice gleamed warmly and there were many moving moments throughout." (Die Kronen Zeitung, 14 February 2011)
"The wonderful Strauss interpreter displays how she can also shine in Wagner's music. Her floating, gleaming, endlessly spun tones are mixed with thrilling metallic attacks. She is a fascinating Senta." (Der Neue Merkur Wien, 15 February 2011)
"...a very elegant Senta" (Der Standard Wien, 13 February 2011)
Adrianne brings her compelling Tosca to Toronto
 |
|
Adrianne Pieczonka as Tosca with Juan Pons as Scarpia in the LA Opera production of Tosca, May 2008 (photo: Robert Millard) |
Following her highly acclaimed performances of the role in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Adrianne will take on one of opera's most beloved heroines - Tosca - at the Canadian Opera Company. Performance dates are January 21 to February 21, 2012. For more information: www.coc.ca.
Adrianne opens in Der Rosenkavalier at the Vienna State Opera
After singing the role of Die Marschallin in Der Rosenkavlaier in many opera houses in Europe and North America, Adrianne made her debut in the role at the Vienna State Opera in the legendary Otto Schenk production.
"Adrianne Pieczonka is a noble and poised Marschallin. Her supple, soft but still powerful soprano is impressive. She does not skimp on warmth and gives the famous final trio in
Act 3 a 'Hoffmannsthal' sparkling character." (Die Kronen Zeitung, December 2010)"...a sublime and elegant Marschallin" (Wiener Zeitung, 17 December 2010)
"The best performance of the evening came from Adrianne Pieczonka - she sang The Marschallin with elegance and was vocally most impressive." (Kurier, 17 December 2010)
 |
Adrianne receives an Honorary Doctorate from McMaster University
Friday, 19 November 2010, Adrianne received an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from McMaster University. During the ceremony she sang a welcome to the new president.
Watch a video compilation from the Hamilton Spectator (with Adrianne singing at 00:37) here.
Catch Adrianne on Deutschlandfunk October 16th
When Adrianne was in Germany this past June for her performances in Tosca and Arabella for Deutsche Opera, she did an interview with the radio program "Klassik Pop et cetera".
Listen as she speaks about her various musical choices, tastes and style. The interview airs Saturday, October 16, at 10:00am CET, in Germany (4 am EST) www.dradio.de
Double debut in Paris:
Adrianne stars as Senta in her first appearance at the Paris Opera
 |
|
Debut as Senta in Der Fliegender Hollander,
Opera Bastille. September 2010 (Fred Toulet) |
"Adrianne Pieczonka debuted in the role of Senta and from the beginning on it was a triumph. Her interpretation was full of youthful freshness. Her voice is round and perfectly warmly timbered in every register. Her opening "Ballade" was powerfully sung, her duet with Erik fully of shyness and her love duet with the Holländer fully of ecstasy. Her singing is highly expressive from the first to the last tone. Wagner lovers will not be disappointed!" (Die Presse, 20 September 2010)
"…the Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka has the qualities of an almost ideal Senta - a radiant presence, full timbred, heavenly high notes and rich phrasing." (WebThea, Sept. 2010)
"For their debuts at the Opéra de Paris, it was Adrianne Pieczonka and Klaus Florian Vogt who received the warmest acclaim. The Canadian soprano embodied Senta from the first moment - and, without losing strength, the vocal incarnation was complete (mastery over the high notes, a beautiful suppleness of expression)." (ConcertoNet, 13 September 2010)
"As Senta, Adrianne Pieczonka is more forceful : there again, we are delighted to find a supple voice, very homogenous throughout the ensemble of the tessitura, technically solid enough to overcome the many obstacles that Wagner strews in her path (so rare that it is worth highlighting: all the high attacks of the famous 'Ballade' rang out with precision and a ease that never faulted), but one also sees a less assertive personality, more in line with the great interpreters of the role, into the centre of which Pieczonka has gloriously installed herself...let us welcome a role debut boldly assumed, with an ovation that we have rarely seen. " (ForumOpera, 9 September 2010)
" …the other wonderful surprise was the Senta of Adrianne Pieczonka, who like Vogt, was making her Opéra de Paris debut. The Canadian soprano took on the final scene with authority, an expansive voice, robust, and increasing warmth in the high notes …this Senta had presence, both musically and physically." (altamusica.com, 9 September 2010)
 |
|
Adrianne's photo in Die Oper kocht |
Die Oper kocht
A delightful cookbook created by celebrated Viennese photographer Johannes Ifkovits and his wife Evelyn Rillé.
Opera singers are well known for being great and adventurous cooks, able to adapt to the weird and wonderful kitchens they find in their rental accommodations.
This is a cookbook featuring some of Johannes' favourite singers making their favourite dishes. Adrianne offers her recipe for blueberry pancakes!
Check out the Die Oper kocht Facebook page for more details and this hilarious 2-minute preview.
 |
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.
 |
|
Adrianne's role debut as Die Kaiserin in Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten April 2010 |
"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
Check out this interview and excerpts on Youtube
"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
 |
|
A. Pieczonka & P. Domingo (© Marty Sohl) |
Check out Adrianne's performance photo gallery to see photos of Adrianne as Amelia from the Metropolitan Opera's production of Simon Boccangera.
-----
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
 |
|
A. Pieczonka & S. O'Neill (© Felix Sanchez) |
"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!
|
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
Conductor: Kent Nagano
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. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
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
Adrianne Pieczonka as Tosca with Juan Pons as Scarpia in the LA Opera production of Tosca, May 2008 (photo: Robert Millard)
"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
 |
|
Kammersängerin Award from the Minister for Education, Arts and Culture, Dr. Claudia Schmied, 27 March 2007 |
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 |
|
ON THE COVER OF OPERA CANADA - September 2006 issue |
|
In conversation with Toronto Star chief Music Critic John Terauds |
|
About her phenomenal success as Sieglinde and her recital program with Robert Everett-Grenn of the Globe and Mail |
|
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: January 23, 2012