Ekaterina Semenchuk: biography, videos

Biography

The brilliant Russian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk has completed her studies at the Conservatory of St. Petersburg.

In the past seasons, she sang Marina (Boris Godunov), Polina (Pique Dame) at the Metropolitan Opera as well as her first Azucena (Il Trovatore) in Valencia under the direction of Zubin Mehta. She has also sung at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as Olga (Eugene Onegin) and the Berlin Staatsoper as Preziosilla (La Forza del Destino) and Polina (Pique Dame) under the direction of Daniel Barenboim. With Valery Gergiev, she has performed Didon (Les Troyens) at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, at Carnegie Hall in New York and at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo. She has also performed Fricka (Die Walkure) with the Los Angeles Opera.

She recently made her debut at Salzburg Festival as Eboli, in a new production of Don Carlo, under the baton of Antonio Pappano, celebrated Shostakovich in recital at the Vienna Konzerthaus and Tchaikosvy at Wigmore Hall. On the concert podium, she has sung the Verdi Requiem with Gustavo Dudamel, Das Klagende Lied at the Ravinia Festival with Conlon and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Nevsky at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome under the direction of Vasily Petrenko. At the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and at Wien Konzerthaus she has performed Berlioz’s La Morte de Cleopatre under the direction of Gergiev.

Other important events include La Gioconda under the direction of Roberto Abbado and Sansone et Dalila under Charles Dutoit at the Opera of Rome, concerts of Requiem's Dvorak with l’Orchestre de Paris and Roméo et Juliette of Berlioz at La Scala under the direction of James Colon, and moreover Benvenuto Cellini at Champs-Élysées Theatre with Valery Gergiev, Aida at Scala with Gianandrea Noseda and Pier Giorgio Morandi and at Teatro San Carlo in Naples with M° Luisotti, Il Trovatore at La Scala, Rossini Stabat Mater at Filamornico di Verona, Les Troyens at Edinburgh Festival under the baton of Maestro Gergiev, La Forza del Destino with Zubin Mehta.

Future plans include: recitals at Wigmore Hall in London, St. Petersburg, Moskow, Vienna (Konzerthaus), Berkly with Helmut Deutsch, Carmen at Arena di Verona, Mazepa at Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Anna Bolena at Wiener Staatsoper, Il Trovatore (San Carlo , Salzburg Festival, Covent Garden and Opéra Bastille), Luisa Miller and Aida at San Francisco Opera with Nicola Luisotti.

Her debut recording of Russian songs is available on the Harmonia Mundi label, also recorded Oedipus Rex with Valery Gergiev, Sarti Magnificat- Gloria (Mattia Rondelli, Baarbara Frittoli) on the Sony Classical. And she will record the role of Amneris for Warner under the direction of Sir Antonio Pappano.

DVD recordings: Don Carlo ( ORF, Salzburg Festival, Pappano), Aida ( RAI 5, San Carlo, Luisotti), Il Trovatore ( RAI 5, La Scala, Rustioni).

Ekaterina was also invited to sing in 2005 at the wedding of His Majesty Charles Prince of Wales with Camilla Parker Bowles , performing the Orthodox Creed of Grechaninov.