Since her debut in 1998 as a teenager singing the role of Celia in Mozart's Lucio Silla, in a European Opera production directed by Brigitte Fassbaender which toured the UK and Denmark, Simona Mihai has been greeted with great enthusiasm and critical accolades in operatic venues worldwide: "…Simona Mihai is causing some excitement in opera circles. She's only 19 but already the Romanian Soprano shows such amazing and exceptional talent that the EOC has granted her a place and a leading role…" (Manchester Evening News, January 1998).
Born in Bucharest, Simona went to the EOC before studying at the Academy of Music in her home town. She then continued her studies at the Royal College of Music in London and the Benjamin Britten International Opera School with Kathleen Livingstone as a Queen Mother Scholar. She was subsequently awarded the Rosemary Bugden Junior Fellowship at the RCM for 2005/06 and the David Bowerman Junior Fellowship for 2006/07 and is a Samling Foundation Scholar.
In 2005, she made her Italian operatic début at Teatro Massimo, Palermo, as Roksana in Szymanowsky's Król Roger conducted by M° Latham-Koenig and directed by Yannis Kokkos. Highlights of 2006 included Governess The Turn of the Screw for Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile.
Her operatic roles have included La Ciesca Gianni Schicchi; Cis Albert Herring directed by Sir Thomas Allen; Governess The Turn of the Screw directed by John Copley, roles in Dialogues des Carmelites directed by Jude Kelly; and Despina Cosi fan Tutte directed by Ian Judge and conducted by Michael Roswell.
Simona has performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Royal Danish Theatre, Copenhagen; Buxton Opera House; Cork Opera House; Belfast Grand Opera House; Edinburgh International Festival; Brighton Festival and Bath Festival.
On the UK concert platform Simona has appeared at Birmingham Symphony Hall, the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool (with the RLPO), Fairfield Halls (with the London Mozart Players), Wigmore Hall, St John's Smith Square and Cadogan Hall. She has given a recital in Italy with Angela Hewitt and Diana Montague as well as in Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the US.
Simona is the recipient of numerous singing prizes including first prize at the Takasaky International Competition in Japan (1996); the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary for Young Singers; the National Mozart Competition; the Miriam Licette Prize and the Maggie Teyte Scholarship (in both 2003 and 2004); the Joaninha Trust Award and the Clonter Opera Prize.
Current and future plans include Virtù L'incoronazione di Poppea and covering the title role in a new production conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm for Glyndebourne and Despina Così fan tutte for Glyndebourne on Tour. In September 2008, Simona will join the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden where her roles will include Dew Fairy Hänsel und Gretel under Sir Colin Davis, Juliette Die Tote Stadt conducted by Ingo Metzmacher, and Girl in Lulu with Antonio Pappano conducting.
Simona Mihai is represented by Intermusica worldwide
July 2007 / 487 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.