Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić is known internationally through her acclaimed performances of baroque, classical and coloratura repertoire, and is much sought after by major opera houses and orchestras in the world.
Recent operatic engagements include title role Cendrillon for Opéra de Lille, Dorabella Cosi fan tutte for Washington National Opera, and Nerone Agrippina in Lille, Dijon and Beaune. She has also sung Irene Tamerlano for Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Cherubino for Washington National Opera and Los Angeles Opera, Octavian Der Rosenkavalier for Minnesota Orchestra, Bradamante Orlando Furioso for Oper Frankfurt, Sesto La clemenza di Tito for Chicago Opera Theater, Annio La clemenza di Tito for Opéra de Lyon and the title role in Cavalli Eliogabalo at Grange Park Opera.
Much in demand on the concert platform, Pokupić most recently sang David Penitente at Festival de Saint-Denis, Dvorak Stabat Mater with DSO Berlin, St Matthew Passion with Rotterdam Philharmonic, Haydn Paukenmesse, Mozart Coronation Mass and Haydn Stabat Mater with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris, Mozart Requiem at the BBC Proms, and appeared in Le Concert d’Astrée’s the 10th anniversary concert. In previous seasons she has also sung Alcina Orlando Furioso with Ensemble Matheus in Madrid, Beethoven Symphony No.9 with Orchester Beethoven Bonn, Mahler Symphony No.2 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Pulcinella with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Mozart and Rossini arias with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Haydn The Creation with Northern Sinfonia, Angel Elijah with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Orchestre National de France, Bach Christmas Oratorio with Ensemble Matheus, and Pergolesi Stabat Mater with Les talens lyriques. She works with such leading conductors as Kurt Masur, Kazushi Ono, Kent Nagano, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Louis Langreé, Fabio Biondi, John Eliot Gardiner, Paul McCreesh, Jérémie Rhorer, Emmauelle Haïm, Christophe Rousset, Carlo Rizzi, Jean-Christoph Spinosi, Laurence Cummings and Christian Curnyn.
A committed recitalist, Pokupić works regularly with the internationally acclaimed Roger Vignoles. They have appeared together at the Wigmore Hall, The Frick Collection New York, Danube Festival, Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Petworth Festival, Bath Mozartfest, Delft Chamber Festival, and the Great Hall in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland.
Highlights in 2012/13 season include Nerone Agrippina for De Vlaamse Opera, Cecilio in Anfossi’s Lucio Silla at Mozarteum Salzburg with Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, Bruckner Mass in F minor with Orchestre de Paris under Ingo Metzmacher, St Matthew Passion with the Bach Choir, and a European tour of ‘Queens, Heroines and Ladykillers: Tribute to Lorraine Hunt Lieberson’ with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and William Christie. She will also record songs by Czech composer Václav Tomášek with Roger Vignoles for Hyperion Records. Next seaon, Pokupić will also return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for two productions.
Renata Pokupić is represented by Intermusica.
January 2013 / 454 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.
Classical Opera Company / Wigmore Hall
cond. Ian Page
“The highlight of the second half was Idamante’s recitative and aria from Idomeneo, dramatically and movingly sung by Pokupić. She really entered the character of the young Idamante and expressed his confusion and grief in the aria with genuine feeling and it was as if we were transported to the operatic stage”.
Nahoko Gotoh, Bachtrack, January 2013
“In those arias that explored the rich, ripe lower regions of the castrato voice, Pokupic reigned supreme. No trousers for her trouser-roles, either. Instead, a bouncy, flouncy dolly-frock compounded the transgender experience, making her look for all the world like a man in preposterous drag. Focus was on the voice alone, though, as she movingly re-created one of Tenducci’s showpieces: Arbaces’s solemn farewell to his father from Thomas Arne’s Artaxerxes.
Boldly supported by robust playing from the Orchestra of Classical Opera conducted by Ian Page, Pokupic was undaunted by the musical seastorms lurking within an aria from J. C. Bach’s Adriano in Siria. And in Cecilio’s great aria from Mozart’s Lucio Silla, each leap of despair was firmly and glowingly sculpted. Pokupic also had the true plums of the evening: Idamante’s Il padre adorato from Idomeneo, and Sesto’s Deh, per questo istante solo from La clemenza di Tito.”
Hilary Finch, The Times, January 2013
Nerone in Handel Agrippina / Vlaamse Opera
cond. Paul McCreesh / dir. Mariame Clément
“As Agrippina’s son, Renata Pokupić [sings] with admirable evenness of production and figuratively pout[s] her way through the role with amusing insouciance”.
Brain Robins, Opera, November 2012
“De Kroatische mezzo Renata Pokupic [...] haar psychopathische Nero is een geslaagde belichaming van de maniak die Rome uiteindelijk zal besturen”.
"The Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupic['s] psychopathic Nero is a successful embodiment of the maniac that Rome will ultimately control".
Stef Grondelaers, De Standard, October 2012
“Renata Pokupic played a wavering and sometimes thankless Nero; the nervous restlessness of her melodic lines and the indefinable colour of her voice were perfectly in character”.
« Renata Pokupic, Nerone velléitaire, ingrat parfois mais si juste dans l’agitation nerveuse de la ligne et la couleur indéfinissable de la voix »
Christophe Rizoud, ForumOpera.com, November 2012
Nerone in Handel Agrippina / Festival de Beaune
cond. Federico Maria Sardelli
“Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić makes a very convincing Nerone: she can transform the colour and timbre of her deep, warm voice to portray a myriad of different emotions.”
Fabrice Malkani, Forum Opéra, July 2012
Title role Cendrillon / Opéra de Lille
cond. Claude Schnitzler
“The two lead singers both excelled in portraying the charms of the ingénue … It would be difficult to choose between Renata Pokupić and Gaëlle Arquez; both singers enchanted the audience with the beauty of their complementary timbres, their theatrical commitment and their crystal-clear diction.”
Marc Chamblain, Res Musica, May 2012
“The Opéra de Lille chose a mezzo as their Cendrillon, and Renata Pokupić has made great progress since she sang Anna in the ‘Troyens’ at the Châtelet nearly ten years ago. Her diction is excellent, she portrays the character convincingly, and her metamorphosis from servant to Audrey Hepburn is believable.”
Laurent Bury,
Forum Opéra, May 2012
Recital with Roger Vignoles
Frick Collection, New York
“Pokupić has a beautiful and very dynamically responsive lyric instrument...[and] clearly is a serious, gifted practitioner of this endangered art form. The mezzo showed nimble triplets and clean attack… the songs' architecture was cleanly presented, and her tone stayed clear and pleasing…fluidly and charmingly performed.”
David Shengold, Opera News Magazine, March 2012
Dorabella in Mozart Cosi fan tutte / Washington National Opera
cond. Philippe Auguin / dir. Jonathan Miller
“Renata Pokupić rounds out the quartet of crisscrossed lovers with a deft portrayal of Dorabella… consistently elegant in shape.”
Scott Suchman, Baltimoresun.com, February 2012
“The singing “sisters” are stunning. Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić is more than a match with her sassy persona as Dorabella, supported by a beautiful rich sound.”
Susan Galbraith, DC Theatre Scene, February 2012
“Croatian mezzo-soprano Pokupić was a perfect Dorabella. Ms. Pokupić’s contribution to this sister act was a steady but appealingly girlish lower register that shone both in her solo moments yet helped anchor the ensembles as well... appealing throughout the evening.”
Terry Ponick, The Washington Times, February 2012
Nerone in Handel Agrippina / Opera de Dijon
cond. Emmanuelle Haim / dir. Jean-Yves Ruf
“Vocally, the cast of brilliant singers formed a well-balanced ensemble, most notably Renata Pokupić as Nero.”
Jean-Marie Duhamel, La Voix Du Nord, November 2011
Mozart's Requiem / Royal Albert Hall / Polyphony with the City of London Sinfonia / cond. Stephen Layton
“With persuasive solo singing from Renata Pokupić… this was a performance of discipline but also one of impressive humanity.”
Geoffrey Norris, The Telegraph, August 2011
Octavian in Strauss Der Rosenkavalier (Concert Performance) / Minnesota Orchestraal Association / cond. Andrew Litton
“Similarly strong was mezzo Renata Pokupić in the trouser-clad title role. Vividly conveying a teenager's mood swings and limited impulse control, she also brought a tender tone to the beautiful love duets she shared with sopranos Katie Van Kooten and Emma Pearson”
Rob Hubbard, The Pioneer Press, July 2011
“Mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić brought a ringing top to Octavian … The impetuousness of her ardent performance was thoroughly winning… The Act III trio for the three women, about love and renunciation, is one of the most sublime moments in all opera and was here transcendent.”
William Randall Beard, The Star Tribune, July 2011
Opera Arias / Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
Scottish Chamber Orchestra / cond. Jean-Christophe Spinosi
“[There was] a miniature exploration of the wiles, whims and ways of love by the Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupić who, like any self-respecting opera singer, could more than match Spinosi for charisma.”
“Pokupić, very much the up-and-coming young mezzo-soprano, has a rich tone and a great sense for drama. Her Voi che Sapete (The Marriage of Figaro) was beautifully sung, and Dorabella’s Smanie Implacabili from Così, at the other end of inexperienced love’s emotional scale; effective. Breathlessly sob-sighing and feeling her way through unfamiliar despair, the artifice was complete as Pokupić fainted, delicately, into Spinosi’s arms.”
“Pokupić proved to be most impressive in the Rossini duo that followed, throwing off the coloratura of Cruda Sorte (L’Italiana in Algieri) with ease. Her Rosina ('Una voce poco fa' from The Barber of Seville) was syrupy sweet, crafty and so resolutely defiant as she grabbed Spinosi’s baton to conduct the final chords herself.”
Sarah Unwin Jones, The Times, 2 May 2011
Wigmore Hall Debut Recital with Alek Shrader / acc. Roger Vignoles
“The Wigmore recital brought together the noble-voiced Renata Pokupić, who has been making a name for herself in pre-classical music, notably as the isolated high-point of Royal Opera production of Handel’s “Tamerlano” (generally considered indifferent) and the lyric tenor Alek Shrader.”
“…she entered the emotional world of this set of songs.”
“In the final prayer Pokupić caught the true despair of Mary’s utterance.”
“Pokupić took the opportunity to display delicate vocal graces, which may be her forte, in ‘Il rimprovero.’”
Richard Nicholson, Classical Source, April 2011
“Watching how acclaimed young opera singers adapt to the more intimate and nuanced business of delivering lieder is always fascinating. The Croatian soprano Renata Pokupić excited the critics, me included, when she sang a minor role in Tamerlano at the Royal Opera. In fact she was the best thing in a woeful show. And at the Wigmore she once again revealed the qualities that could take her to the top.
Her voice has a Ferrier-like sonority, yet with a seductive husk. It is superbly even-toned from top to bottom… on the whole keeps good control. And she projects each song’s miniature emotional world effectively, yet without effusive gush… She captured perfectly the poignant joyousness of Yeats’s The Secrets of the Old in Samuel Barber’s beautiful setting. And I loved the way that she and the pianist Roger Vignoles phrased four Fauré Mélodies: respecting their reticence, delicacy and grace rather than loading them with heavy-duty emotions… She brought a similarly noble restraint to Schumann’s dark settings of poems supposedly written by Mary, Queen of Scots.”
Richard Morrison, The Times, April 2011
Cherubino in Mozart Le nozze di Figaro
Los Angeles Opera / cond. Placido Domingo / dir. Ian Judge
“Renata Pokupić’s Cherubino, the young scamp enamoured of all women, shot erotic darts. The mezzo from Croatia passes for boyish, but she is also feminine, and her flirtations with both Susanna and the Countess seemed more than a little loaded.”
Mark Swed, LA Times, October 2010
Irene in Handel Tamerlano
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / cond. Ivor Bolton / dir. Graham Vick
“But the only accomplished lyricism came from the Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupić in the role of Irene, a rival princess.”
Richard Morrison, The Times, March 2010
“…the bright Croatian debutante Renata Pokupić — who provided the evening’s most radiant singing and won the most enthusiastic ovation in the role of Tamerlano’s spurned betrothed, Irene.”
Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times, March 2010
“Renata Pokupić - bright, open, and seductive of voice – also made an impression as Irene, Tamerlano’s would-be betrothed.”
Edward Seckerson, The Independent, March 2010
“Renata Pokupić’s assumption of the part from the moment of her entry atop a vertiginous royal blue elephant was one of the evening’s most rewarding elements. Musically assured, she expanded the character’s importance in the network of intrigues in her disguise as servant girl and her dignity in propria persona.”
Richard Nicolson, Classical Source, March 2010
“Renata Pokupić makes an impressive house debut as Irene.”
Simon Thomas, What’s On Stage, March 2010
“Another house debutant provided almost equally lustrous performance; the mezzo Renata Pokupić phrased Irene's wonderful aria 'Par che mi nasca in seno' with touching sensitivity, and gave a fully rounded portrayal of her character.”
Melanie Eskenazi, The Opera Critic, March 2010
“Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić made a very spirited debut with the Royal Opera in the role of Irene and turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, displaying a warm, full-bodied and velvety timbre which was a genuine delight to listen to. Her Act II aria ‘Par che mi nasca in seno’ was impressively stylish with a very smooth legato line.”
Faye Courtney, Opera Britannia, March 2010
“...debutante Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupić, her lavish voice and personality aiding and abetting her in putting her stamp on the role of Irene”
George Hall, Opera News, June 2010
The Angel in Mendelssohn Elijah
London Philharmonic Orchestra / cond. Kurt Masur
"Topi Lehtipuu and Renata Pokupić gave Obadiah and the Angel a sense of immediacy that was almost palpable."
Peter Reed, Classical Source, October 2009
Title role in Handel Theodora
Gabrieli Consort and Players / cond. Paul McCreesh / Teatro Real, Madrid
“The vocal cast was well suited to their roles in all cases, being well-balanced, and including some excellent singers. The protagonist Theodora was Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić, who has a beautiful voice and is a very good performer.”
José M Irurzun, MusicWeb International, October 2009
Dorabella in Mozart Così fan tutte (Concert Performance)
Théatre des Champs-Elysées / Le Cercle de l’Harmonie / cond. Jérémie Rhorer
“Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupić 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 Pokupić 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 Eliogabalo
Grange Park Opera / cond. Christian Curnyn / dir. David Fielding
“As for Eliogabalo, strutting in silver tights, the velvet high mezzo of Renata Pokupić is more pleasing still; quite a star turn, in fact.”
Geoff Brown, The Times, June 2009
Sesto in Mozart La Clemenza di Tito
Chicago Opera Theater / cond. Jane Glover / dir. Christopher Alden
“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, but the particular standout was her performance of the long second act aria “Deh per questo istante.”
R. Todd Shuman, Operaonline US, April 2009
“Pokupić, 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 Pokupić 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 L’incoronazione di Dario
Garsington Opera / cond. Laurence Cummings
“…fine singing from Renata Pokupić”
Anthony Holden, Guardian, June 2008
"...Renata Pokupić.... gave a vibrant, polished account."
Fiona Maddocks, Evening Standard, June 2008
“Renata Pokupić's sweetly ditsy Statira...is outstanding”
Anna Picard, Independent, June 2008
“Renata Pokupić was an enchanting Statira”
Andrew Clark, Financial Times, June 2008
“(Statira) Delightfully portrayed by the young Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupić.”
Richard Morrison, The Times, June 2008
Teodata in Handel Flavio
Barbican / cond. Christopher Hogwood / Academy of Ancient Music
"... it was... Renata Pokupić’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 Pokupić). 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 in Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro
Theatre des Champs-Elysees / cond. Jérémie Rohrer
“Renata Pokupić displays a charm worthy of Frederica von Stade."
Le Figaro, September 2007
Siébel in Gounod Faust
Opera Ireland
“The best singing on stage comes from the Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupić 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 in Monteverdi Orfeo
Lille Opera / Emmanuelle Haïm
“Renata Pokupić is superb as the messenger.”
Financial Times, November 2005
“Renata Pokupić 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 Pokupić’s Messagera.”
Le Figaro, November 2006
Dido Purcell Dido and Aeneas
Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists/ cond. John Eliot Gardiner
“ … Renata Pokupić, whose style is impeccable…”
Le Figaro, November 2004
BBC Proms 2004: Bach Mass in B minor
Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists/ cond. John Eliot Gardiner
“ … and a brief hearing of the silvery edge to Renata Pokupić mezzo was impressive.”
Musical Opinion, August 2004
“… mezzo Renata Pokupić… was also excellent.”
Stephen Pettitt, Evening Standard, August 2004
“The chirruping piping of soprano Katharine Fuge nicely contrasted with Croatian mezzo Renata Pokupić”
Hilary Finch, The Times, August 2004
Dejanira Handel Hercules
London Handel Festival Choir and Orchestra/ cond. Laurence Cummings
“… thank God for Renata Pokupić, 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 in Berlioz Les Troyens
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique / cond. John Eliot Gardiner“Renata Pokupić was a sumptuous Anna.”
International Herald Tribune, October 2003
“Renata Pokupić, a touching Anna…”
ConcertoNet, October 2003
“Renata Pokupić 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 / cond. Laurence Cummings
“Renata Pokupić 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 Pokupić 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