“Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić’s performance as Sesto was a revelation. Her acting was flawless, and her voice was magnificent. Nearly every moment she was onstage was a highlight.”
R. Todd Shuman, OperaOnline
Renata Pokupić is known internationally through her acclaimed performances of baroque, classical and other coloratura-mezzo repertoire as well as solo songs.
Her recent opera engagements have included the highly acclaimed Sesto La Clemenza di Tito for Chicago Opera Theater, Annio La clemenza di Tito for Opéra de Lyon, Irene Tamerlano at Teatro Real, Madrid, the title role in Cavalli’s Eliogabalo at Grange Park Opera and Statira Vivaldi L'Incoronazione di Dario for Garsington Opera.
Renata excels on concert platform where she recently sang Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Orchestre National de France and Kurt Masur, Dorabella Così fan tutte (concert performances) with Orchestre le Cercle de l’Harmonie under Jérémie Rhorer at the Beaune Festival and on tour, Mozart Requiem at Théatre des Champs-Elysées under Jérémie Rhorer, with the Academy of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields and Carlo Rizzi, and with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra under Yakov Kreizberg and Bach B minor Mass with Montreal Symphony and Kent Nagano. She also sang De Falla Le Tricorne in concert under Kazushi Ono for Opéra de Lyon, Dvorak Stabat Mater with Ensemble Accentus and Elijah with the Gabrieli Consort.
Her Baroque performance highlights include Pergolesi Stabat Mater with Les talens lyriques and Christophe Rousset, Il Trionfo del Tempo with the Akademie fur Alte Musik, Berlin, Teodata Flavio with the Academy of Ancient Music and Christopher Hogwood, concert with Jean-Christophe Spinosi and Ensemble Matheus. She works regularly with John Eliot Gardiner and Monteverdi Choir, Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort, Emmanuelle Haïm and Le Concert d'Astree, Laurence Cummings and Christian Curnyn.
Renata is also an accomplished recitalist. She works regularly with the international pianist Roger Vignoles. They recorded a recital album on Schumann, Fauré and Barber with Altara Records, which is due to release later this year. The duo recently performed at the Delft Chamber Festival and they will have future plans in major European venues.
Forthcoming engagements include her Royal Opera House debut as Irene Tamerlano, Cherubino for Washington National Opera, title role in Theodora on tour with the Gabrieli Consort, Così fan tutte in concert at the TCE, Elgar Elijah with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Kurt Masur, Mozart Requiem with City of London Sinfonia under David Hill and Sir Roger Norrington, Bach Christmas Oratorio on tour with the Ensemble Matheus and Jean-Christoph Spinosi, Messiah in Gran Canaria with Paul McCreesh, L’Enfance du Christ with Musikkollegium Winterthur and Douglas Boyd, Stavinsky Pulcinella with Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo and Yakov Kreizberg, recital with Dante Quartet at Kings Place and an appearance at the Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival in Canada. In forthcoming seasons she will also make her house debut at Los Angeles Opera and work with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Renata Pokupic is represented by Intermusica.
September 2009 / 483 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.
Dorabella in Mozart Così fan tutte (concert version)
Théatre des Champs-Elysées / Le Cercle de l’Harmonie / Jérémie Rhorer
“Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupic sang Dorabella with ease and fluency, demonstrating an impressive fullness and stability of timbre across the whole tessitura, and perfect tuning.”
ConcertoNet, October 2009
“Naturally adorable, Renata Pokupic sang Dorabella with a rich, velvety tone whose opulence gently veiled the exquisitely formed contours of her melodies.”
Altamusica, October 2009
Title role in Cavalli’s Eliogabalo
Grange Park Opera / cond. Christian Curnyn / dir. David Fielding
“As for Eliogabalo, strutting in silver tights, the velvet high mezzo of Renata Pokupic is more pleasing still; quite a star turn, in fact.”
Geoff Brown, The Times, June 2009
Sesto in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito
Chicago Opera Theater / cond. Jane Glover / dir. Christopher Alden
“Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupic’s performance as Sesto was a revelation. Her acting was flawless, and her voice was magnificent. Nearly every moment she was onstage was a highlight, but the particular standout was her performance of the long second act aria “Deh per questo istante.”
R. Todd Shuman, Operaonline US, April 2009
“Pokupic, a superb Croatian mezzo, nailed each of Sesto's arias with aplomb, not least the famous ‘Parto, parto,’ in tandem with Charlene Zimmerman's stunning clarinet obbligato.”
John Von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, April 2009
Bach Mass in B Minor
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir / cond. Kent Nagano
Place des Arts, Montreal
“Renata Pokupic was particularly rich and melodious in the Qui sedes, which she performed standing beside the oboe d'amore player.”
Arthur Kaptainis, The Montreal Gazette, January 2009
Statira in Vivaldi’s L’incoronazione di Dario
Garsington Opera / cond. Laurence Cummings
“…fine singing from Renata Pokupic”
Anthony Holden, Guardian, June 2008
"...Renata Pokupic.... gave a vibrant, polished account."
Fiona Maddocks, Evening Standard, June 2008
“Renata Pokupic's sweetly ditsy Statira...is outstanding”
Anna Picard, Independent, June 2008
“Renata Pokupic was an enchanting Statira”
Andrew Clark, Financial Times, June 2008
“(Statira) Delightfully portrayed by the young Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupic.”
Richard Morrison, The Times, June 2008
Teodata in Handel’s Flavio
Barbican cond. Christopher Hogwood / Academy of Ancient Music
"... it was... Renata Pokupic’s Teodata who provided the most distinguished singing…”
Andrew Clark, Financial Times, April 2008
Dvorak Stabat Mater
Choeur Accentus / cond. Laurence Equilbey
"We are also lucky that the first recording of this unheard version is served by magnificent performers who are well acquainted with this repertoire and form - the compassionate piano of Brigitte Engerer, the ardent and contrasted voices of the Accentus choir and the soloists (particularly mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupic). To her equally successful Brahms German Requiem and Liszt Via Crucis, Laurence Equilbey and partners add with this another exemplary trophy. This sacred trilogy, this holy trinity has no equals or rivals in today's discography."
Gilles Macassar, Telerama, April 2008
Cherubino Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro
Theatre des Champs-Elysees / cond. Jérémie Rohrer
“Renata Pokupic displays a charm worthy of Frederica von Stade."
Le Figaro, September 2007
Siébel Gounod’s Faust
Opera Ireland
“The best singing on stage comes from the Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupic in the trousers role of Siébel. Her tone is straight and true, her boyish antics perfectly apt, and whenever she sings, she simply commands attention.”
The Irish Times, April 2006
Messagera Monteverdi’s Orfeo
Lille Opera / Emmanuelle Haïm
“Renata Pokupic is superb as the messenger.”
Financial Times, November 2005
“Renata Pokupic makes herself easily noticed, a Messagera with a soft and gripping tone, with clear and assured diction; conscious of her account’s crucial role, she knows how to bend the action towards tragedy with sincerity and emotion.”
Les Echos, November 2005
“One cannot remain indifferent to the powerful interventions of Renata Pokupic’s Messagera.”
Le Figaro, November 2006
Dido Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists/ John Eliot Gardiner
“ … Renata Pokupic, whose style is impeccable…”
Le Figaro, November 2004
Bach’s Mass in B minor
Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists/ John Eliot Gardiner (BBC Proms)
“ … and a brief hearing of the silvery edge to Renata Pokupic mezzo was impressive.”
Musical Opinion, August 2004
“… mezzo Renata Pokupic… was also excellent.”
Stephen Pettitt, Evening Standard, August 2004
“The chirruping piping of soprano Katharine Fuge nicely contrasted with Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupic”
Hilary Finch, The Times, August 2004
Dejanira Handel’s Hercules
London Handel Festival Choir and Orchestra/ Laurence Cummings
“… thank God for Renata Pokupic, a warm-voiced Croatian mezzo-soprano. From her first entry, she wrenched the evening to a level of emotional engagement… from hysterical joy to wrecked despair, this was some performance!”
The Times, May 2004
“… she can cope with the most demanding of Handel’s florid vocal lines and ornaments with remarkable control of articulation and breath… an extremely appealing stage presence combined with the sheer quality of her voice, gives her an almost unbelievable ability to express the widely varying moods. She has a very special talent.”
Early Music Review, May 2004
Anna Berlioz’s Les Troyens
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique / John Eliot Gardiner
“Renata Pokupic was a sumptuous Anna.”
International Herald Tribune, October 2003
“Renata Pokupic, a touching Anna…”
ConcertoNet, October 2003
“Renata Pokupic composes a quasi-mozartian Anna, giving to the great duo with her sister Dido a very appropriate dreamy charm.”
ResMusica, November 2003
Handel: Ariodante’s arias
Aestas Musica International Ensemble / Laurence Cummings
“Renata Pokupic displayed attributes that merit her a place at the very pinnacle of her profession. She projects a vivid and refreshing personality from the platform, but in doing so immerses herself totally in the spirit and style of the music. Her technique is completely assured and meticulously controlled. Ms Pokupic is a very special singer.”
Stephen Pettitt, Evening Standard
“Arias from Ariodante were sungwith a gleaming bronzed vocal quality, admirable flexibility, complete attachment to text and character and a poise and sophistication …and led me to believe that here is an outstanding talent.”
Linda Hirst, Head of Vocal Faculty, Trinity College of Music