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November 2009

COLORaturaS
various Opera Arias, performed with Dan Ettinger and the Münchener Rundfunkorchester
Release: November 13, 2009

October 2009

New Time Schedule
Get an overview of Diana Damrau's Performances for 2010.
See the Calendar

Diana Damrau is 2008 singer of the year
Ms. Damrau is awarded the "2008 singer of the year" by the international opera magazine "Opernwelt" (Germany) and appears on the 2008 issue's cover of the annual book.
Read the article (german PDF document)

October 2008

Amazing role debut at Metropolitan Opera
Diana Damrau receives standing ovations for her first performance as Lucia di Lammermoor!
Read reviews and see pictures

October 2008

W.A. Mozarts DONNA - with Le Cercle de l'Harmonie and Jérémie Rhorer
Arias from La finta semplice, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, Mitridate, La Clemenza di Tito; Konzertarien KV 418 & 419.
For more information and release dates click here.

July 2008

Role Debut in October 2008
Replacing the pregnant Anna Netrebko, Diana Damrau will make her debut in the title role of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" at the Metropolitan Opera, New York in a 7 performance run. Ms. Damrau would like to thank the theatres and the organizers for their understanding and support in allowing her to take this opportunity and apologises for any inconveniences caused by this last-minute schedule alteration.

June/July 2008

Diana Damrau as "Gilda" in the Semperoper Dresden
Performing Gilda in Verdi's "Rigoletto", Diana Damrau inspires audiences and critics the world over.
For reviews, click here.

February 2008

Xavier de Maistre - Nuit D`etoiles: Harp Music By Claude Debussy
On acclaimed harpist Xavier de Maistre's debut cd, Diana Damrau sings a selection of songs by Claude Debussy, accompanied by this Vienna Philharmonic soloist.
For more information click here.

Vita

Born in Günzburg an der Donau, Germany, Diana Damrau studied at the Musikhochschule Würzburg with Carmen Hanganu and in Salzburg with Hanna Ludwig.

Her first engagements were at the Stadtheater Würzburg, the Nationaltheater Mannheim and Oper Frankfurt. In 2002 Diana's international freelance career was born and she was invited to sing at the principle opera houses of Munich, Berlin, Dresden and Hamburg. She was soon to appear in Vienna, Brüssels, Washington, Covent Garden and the Salzburg Festival. She has sung under the direction of such renowned conductors as Ivor Bolton, Pierre Boulez, Sir Colin Davis, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Adam Fischer, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Jesú López Cobos, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Peter Schneider and Marcello Viotti on both the opera stage and concert podium.

Diana Damrau's extensive repertoire spans the Italian and French Fachs (Gilda/"Rigoletto", Rosina/"Il Barbiere di Siviglia", Leila/"Les pêcheurs de perles"), to the full lyric roles of the German repertoire, as well as contemporary works (Cerha's "Der Riese vom Steinfeld" at the Vienna State Opera, Maazel's "1984" at Covent Garden). In December 2004, she sang the title role in Salieri's "L'Europa riconosciuta" at the grand re-opening of La Scala under the direction of Riccardo Muti, where she returned in October 2007 to sing a recital of Salieri, Verdi and Strauss songs.

As a highly sought-after interpreter of Mozart and Strauss roles, she can be heard as Konstanze (Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, the Met New York 2008), Queen of the Night (Munich, Covent Garden, Salzburg Festival, the Met New York), Susanna (La Scala, Vienna, Salzburg Festival, Munich) Zdenka (Munich), Sophie (Dresden, Munich, Vienna), Zerbinetta (Dresden, Vienna, Covent Garden, the Met New York) and Aithra/"Die ägyptische Helena" (the Met New York). Being in great demand as a Lied singer, Diana is a regular guest of both the Kissinger Sommer festival and Schubertiade, Schwarzenberg. She has also appeared in this capacity at Carnegie Hall and both the Munich and Salzburg Festivals.

Diana Damrau made her debut at the Salzburg Opera Festival in 2002 as Queen of the Night, returning in subsequent seasons to sing both Blonde and Konstanze in "Die Entführung aus dem Serail". She featured in Salzburg's Mozart celebrations of 2006 as Queen of the Night in the new Pierre Audi production of "Die Zauberflöte" and returned in 2007 to sing the role of Susanna in "Le Nozze di Figaro" which she has also performed at the Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera - Munich, and La Scala - Milan. Diana also appeared in two new productions at the Metropolitan Opera, New York in the 2006/2007 season, namely Strauss' "Die ägyptische Helena" as Aithra and in Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" as Rosina. In November 2007, Diana takes to the Met stage again in "Die Zauberflöte" where she will perform both her first Pamina and her final Queen of the Night.

Having already recorded selections of her Lied repertoire with both the Orfeo and Telos labels, Diana has signed an exclusive recording contract with Virgin / EMI. Her first release will be a selection of Mozart, Salieri and Righini arias ("Arie di bravura") to be released in November 2007.

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Key Steps in Diana Damrau's Career

2008

• Ms. Damrau is awarded the "2008 singer of the year" by the international opera magazine "Opernwelt" (Germany) and appears on the 2008 issue's cover of the annual book. Read the article (german PDF document)
• Standing Ovations for Diana Damrau's "Gilda" at the "Rigoletto" premiere in Dresden's Semperoper - also seen on TV.
• "Exemplary activities for Europe" - Diana Damrau receives the "Europe medal" on May 7, 2008
• "Arie di bravura" is awarded "Le Timbre de Platine". More information
• Special release in February: On acclaimed harpist Xavier de Maistre's debut cd, Diana Damrau sings a selection of songs by Claude Debussy, accompanied by this Vienna Philharmonic soloist.

2007

• Diana Damrau is invested as "Bayerische Kammersängerin"
• An exclusive recording contract is fixed with Virgin / EMI
• A further role debut at the Met: Aithra in a new production of Strauss' "Die ägyptische Helena"
• Lieder recital debut in New York's Carnegie Hall
• Lieder recital debut at La Scala, Milan
• Engaged to sing both Pamina (Role debut) and Queen of the Night at the Met

2006

• A role debut as Susanna in "Le nozze di Figaro" at La Scala, Milan at the start of Mozart's Anniversary Year
• Plays Konstanze in a new production of Mozart's "Entführung" staged at the Wiener Burgtheater where the piece was originally debuted
• Part of the line-up of "3 Orchester und Stars" to mark the opening of the World Cup in Germany in Summer 2006, performing alongside Domingo, Lang lang, Mehta, Thielemann and Jansons
• Makes three appearances at Salzburg Festival's Mozart celebrations; in a new production of "Die Zauberflöte" as Queen of the Night, as Fauno in "Ascanio in Alba" and as the Soprano in his C Minor Mass
• Spain debut as Zerbinetta at the Teatro Real, Madrid
• Role debut as Rosina in Bartlett Sher's new production of Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" at the Metropolitan Opera, New York

2005

• Metropolitan Opera debut as Zerbinetta in Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos"
• Lieder recital debut at the Salzburg Festival which is released by Orfeo as a Live CD
• Lieder recital debut at Vienna's Musikverein
• Takes on the duo roles of Gym-Instructress and Drunken Woman in the World Premier of Lorin Maazel's "1984" at the Royal Opera House, London

2004

• Performs the title role in Salieri's "L'Europa riconosciuta" at La Scala, Milan to mark the house's grand re-opening. Singing under the baton of Riccardo Muti, the performance is attended by the world's press.

2003

• Role debut as Konstanze in Christoph Loy's celebrated production of "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" at Oper Frankfurt (DVD)
• British opera debut at London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Queen of the Night in David McVicar's new production of "Die Zauberflöte" (DVD)
• Sings Beethoven's 9th under Dohnanyi at the Proms at London's Royal Albert Hall

2002

• Created the role of Die kleine Frau in the World Premier of Cerha's "Der Riese vom Steinfeld" at the Vienna State Opera (TV and CD)
• USA debut in a concert of Mozart Arias conducted by Leonard Slatkin in Washington's Kennedy Center

2001

• Lieder Recital debut at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg
• Debut at the Salzburg Festival as Najade in Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos" and Voce dal cielo in Verdi's "Don Carlo"

2000

• Debut at the Vienna State Opera as Königin der Nacht

1999

• Debut at the Bavarian State Opera, Munich as Zerbinetta

1998/1999

• House debuts in Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Frankfurt as Queen of the Night

1996-2002

• The soprano was contracted to the opera houses of Würzburg, Mannheim and Frankfurt, each for two years respectively

1995

• Opera Stage debut as Barbarina in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" at the State Theater, Würzburg

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Downloads

Feel free to download Diana Damrau's vita in two versions:

Download vita (MS Word document, long version)
Download vita (MS Word document, short version)

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