Aleksandra Kurzak

Aleksandra Kurzak
Kurzak in La Juive at the Bavarian State Opera, June 2016
Born (1977-08-07) 7 August 1977
Brzeg Dolny, Polish People's Republic
Alma mater Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg
Occupation Opera singer (soprano)
Spouse(s) Roberto Alagna (m. 2015)
Website aleksandrakurzak.com

Aleksandra Kurzak (born 7 August 1977 in Brzeg Dolny) is a Polish operatic soprano. She has performed on many prominent international stages across Europe and Northern America including Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera House in London, Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.[1] She had been successful in light and coloratura soprano roles and gradually taking on heavier roles in Italian Bel Canto and Verismo repertoire.

Early Life and Career

Kurzak is daughter to operatic soprano Jolanta Żmurko and horn player Ryszard Kurzak. Born into a musical family, she began her musical studies with violin and piano at the age of 7.[2] In 2000 she graduated with honors from the Vocal Faculty of the Academy of Music in Wrocław, and later Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. In 1999, she made her opera debut at the Wrocław Opera as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro alongside her mother as the countess.[3]

From 2001 to 2007, Kurzak was an ensemble member of Hamburg State Opera, where she sang roles like the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Nannetta in Falstaff, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Musetta in La bohème.[1] In 2004, she made her debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera performing Olympia in Les contes d'Hoffmann. In 2005, she made her Royal Opera House debut as Aspasia in Mitridate, re di Ponto.[2] She debuted at Vienna State Opera in 2008 as Rosina.[4] She received a PhD in music in 2009. In 2010, she made her debut at Milan’s La Scala in Rigoletto and returned in the following seasons to sing Susanna in Le nozze and the Countess in Le comte Ory.[5] She signed an exclusive contract with Decca Classics by the end of 2010.[6] She appeared at Los Angeles Opera as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte in 2011. She won a Readers' Award in the 2015 International Opera Awards.[7] In June 2015, she performed the title role in Maria Stuarda at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and made her debut appearance at the Paris Opera in L'elisir d'amore in the same year. In 2016, she expanded her repertoire by singing Nedda in Pagliacci at Zürich Opera House, Rachel in La Juive at Bavarian State Opera, Mimì in La bohème at Berlin State Opera and Liù in Turandot at Royal Opera House.[1] She was announced to have signed to Sony Classical in May 2018.[8][9]

Personal life

Kurzak married to French tenor Roberto Alagna in 2015.[10] They have a daughter, Malèna, who was born in 2014.[11]

Repertoire

Discography

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
POL
[12][13][14]
Chopin: Songs
(with Mariusz Kwiecień, Nelson Goerner)
  • Released: November 5, 2010
  • Label: Fryderyk Chopin Society
  • Formats: CD
 —
Gioia! (with Orchestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
& Omer Meir Wellber)
  • Released: August 12, 2011
  • Label: Decca Classics
  • Formats: CD, digital download[16]
 8
Hej, kolęda!
(with Sebastian Karpiel-Bułecka)
  • Released: November 13, 2012
  • Label: Universal Music Poland
  • Formats: CD, digital download[18]
 16
Bel Raggio (with Sinfonia Varsovia
& Pier Giorgio Morandi)
  • Released: April 16, 2013
  • Label: Decca Classics
  • Formats: CD, digital download[19]
 50
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Artist Biography". Paris Opera.
  2. 1 2 "Artist Biography". Royal Opera House.
  3. ↑ "Artist Biography". Grand Theatre, Warsaw (in Polish).
  4. ↑ "Artist Biography". Vienna State Opera.
  5. ↑ "Artist Biography". Los Angeles Opera.
  6. ↑ Filip Łobodziński (27 January 2011). "Aleksandra Kurzak. Polska królowa sopranu". Newsweek (in Polish).
  7. ↑ "Meet the Winners of the International Opera Awards". Culture.pl. 27 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Aleksandra Kurzak signs to Sony Classical". Sony Classical. 1 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "Aleksandra Kurzak moves to Sony Classical". Gramophone. 31 May 2018.
  10. ↑ "Aleksandra et Roberto se sont mariés" (in French). 16 November 2015.
  11. ↑ "Roberto Alagna papa à 51 ans avec Aleksandra: Malèna, le bébé du nouveau départ". purepeople.com (in French). 30 August 2014.
  12. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  13. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  14. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  15. 1 2 "ZPAV :: Bestsellery i wyróżnienia - Wyróżnienia - Złote płyty CD - Archiwum". bestsellery.zpav.pl. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  16. ↑ "Gioia! by Aleksandra Kurzak, Orchestra de la Comunitat Valenciana & Omer Meir Wellber on iTunes". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  17. ↑ "ZPAV :: Bestsellery i wyróżnienia - Wyróżnienia - Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum". bestsellery.zpav.pl. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  18. ↑ "Hej, Kolęda! by Aleksandra Kurzak & Sebastian Karpiel-Bułecka on iTunes". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  19. ↑ "Bel Raggio - Rossini Arias by Aleksandra Kurzak, Sinfonia Varsovia & Pier Giorgio Morandi on iTunes". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
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