Published: 09 April 2012
Category: Vocal & Opera

This month, Joyce DiDonato will make her role debut singing the title role of Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda at Houston Grand Opera, which opens on April 21st. DiDonato is much-celebrated in the bel canto repertoire, having had critical acclaim with roles such as Roméo I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and also with Elena in Rossini’s La donna del Lago which she sang only recently in winter 2011 at La Scala, Milan, alongside Juan Diego Flórez. Italian newspaper Giornale dei Lavoratori said of her performance "Joyce DiDonato shows skill in every sentence, phrase and colour, reminding us that bel canto means to be expressively virtuosic. This is also shown in the memorable vocal fireworks of the final rondo, which shows off this great American singer’s mind-boggling trills and agility." DiDonato will sing Maria Stuarda again for the Metropolitan Opera later this year, in a new production by David McVicar which opens on New Year’s Eve. 2012 has proved a hugely successful year so far for Joyce DiDonato, having won a prestigious Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Album for her EMI Virgin album Diva Divo. She also recently won a Gramophone Award for her previous album Colbran: Rossini’s Muse. Houston Grand Opera is a special place for her as it was where she started her career as a student on the house’s Young Artists Programme.

This production also stars Intermusica’s Eric Cutler who will sing the role of the Earl of Leicester, following his recent success at La Monnaie in Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. Eric has also been making a name for himself in the bel canto and heroic French repertoire, with an upcoming new production of the title role Les contes d’Hoffmann for Teatro Real in Madrid. He will then reprise the role of Leicester for his Berlin Staatsoper debut next season.

Baritone Scott Hendricks sings in Houston too at this time in a production of Verdi’s epic Don Carlo, where he sings the role of Posa. This is the third time Scott has appeared in this production, by John Caird – he also performed the role when the production went to Welsh National Opera and to Canadian Opera Company. Patrick Summers will conduct the performances which also star tenor Brandon Jovanovich in the title role and Tamara Wilson as Elisabetta de Valois. The first night is on the 13th April. Scott Hendricks is becoming recognised as one of the leading Verdi baritones. He previously appeared in Houston singing the title roleRigoletto and sang the title role Macbeth in a controversial production by Krzysztof Warlikowski at La Monnaie in Brussels. Next season’s appearances include his Royal Opera House debut as Scarpia Tosca.

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