BIOGRAPHY
Hailed as a singing-actress, Nelly Miricioiu is one of the most versatile artists of our day. Her repertoire extends from Mozart and bel canto to Verdi, Puccini and the verismo, to the more modern Italian opera of Respighi and Zandonai, and taking in French and Russian composers too. As Rodney Milnes wrote in Opera Magazine “this extraordinary diva can sing anything and sing it well“.
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Since her Covent Garden debut in 1982 as Nedda in I Pagliacci opposite John Vickers, Piero Cappuccili and Thomas Allen, and her 1983 triumphant La Scala debut as Lucia di Lammermoor, Nelly has been heard in all major opera houses of the world. She has worked with some of the most prestigious conductors and directors in leading roles that include Tosca (with Jose Carreras, Jose Cura, Neil Shicoff), Mimi La Boheme (with Placido Domingo), Violetta La Traviata (with Franco Bonisolli, Roberto Alagna, Renato Bruson, Alfredo Kraus) and opposite many other leading artists of the day. It was the bel canto repertoire and her dedication to rediscovering forgotten operas where Nelly found her niche. Universally acclaimed for her luscious sound, beautifully constructed technique and exceptional theatrical stage presence, Michael Davdison wrote about her for Opera Magazine: “The highly individual timbre of Miricioiu’s voice, her imagination and intensity, her exceptional range and sense of timing make for a unique talent. ”
Early life
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Born in Adjud, Romania, Nelly started singing at five years old, and was hailed as a child prodigy. At nine, she started studying piano and at 14 she won her first singing contest - "Young Talents, Great hopes". At 18 she sang in Pergolesi’s La serva padrona and joined the Conservatory in Iasi, continuing her studies with Tibi Popovici. In 1972 she was the youngest contestant in the Francisco Vinas Singing Competition in Barcelona, and in 1975 she won the first prize at the very first Maria Callas Grand Prix in Athens. More first prizes followed at competitions in Geneva, Paris, Sofia, and Oostende.
Nelly made her operatic debut in Mozart’s Magic Flute, as the Queen of the Night at Iasi Opera House, and continued to sing at Brasov Opera House between 1975-1978 in roles such as Mimi La Boheme, Micaela Carmen and Rosalinde Die Fledermaus.
Scotland and Royal Opera House
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In 1981 she fled the communist regime and months later debuted in Glasgow's Scottish Opera as Violetta La Traviata. Manon Lescaut and Tosca followed soon after.
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A year later she starred at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden as Nedda I Pagliacci opposite John Vickers, Piero Cappuccilli and Thomas Allen. Following a successful debut she became a household name at the Royal Opera House, where she sang for over two decades, with roles including Marguerite Faust, Antonia Tales of Hoffmann, Valentine Les Huguenots, Elisabetta Roberto Devereux and Norma. In 1996 she was trusted with the revival of the infamous Tosca production for Maria Callas. The production was a huge success and established her as one of the most renowned interpreters of the role. Clive Hirshon wrote in the Daily Express: “Nelly Miricioiu had the requisite passion for the title role plus a melting pianissimo that ravished the house with its purity of tone”, while The Financial Times’ Richard Fairman wrote: “her Tosca is an artist down to her fingertips, the kind who turns every wave in a theatrical event”. She reprised her appearance as Tosca on the Royal Opera House stage in 2001, and in 2003 enjoyed immense success as Elisabetta Roberto Devereux by Donizetti, later recording the role with Opera Rara.
“..it was Miricioiu’s opera, and ultimately her evening. Hers was the longest role and the most demanding, not merely in its manifold technical difficulties but in its range of mood – suspicion, hope, love, hate, joy, pride and finally a bitter, crazed fury. All of these require expression, both in the enunciation of Cammarano’s text and in the vocalizing of Donizetti’s taxing music. Even the greatest bel canto exponents might experience mishaps over such a long ordeal, but Miricioiu’s diligent connection to words, music and meaning held out to the end in singing of outstanding consistency and command.” (George Hall – Opera News)
Teatro alla Scala and Europe
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In 1983, Nelly Miricioiu made her long awaited debut at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, as Lucia di Lamermoor. Her debut on the demanding stage was an absolute triumph, with unanimous praise from the critics and newspapers for her extraordinary performance. Corriere della Serra said: “La Lucia who resembles Callas Triumphs, Nelly Miricioiu, substituting Luciana Serra, has reaped nine curtain calls.(…) Thunderous applause in the finale of the opera, has opened the doors of success for this singer.” After this success, Nelly went on to sing on the stages of the most important opera houses in Europe; Amsterdam, Bruxelles, Rome, Hamburg, Berlin, Geneva, Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona etc. where she has been highly praised and acclaimed for her characterisation of roles as diverse as Violetta La Traviata (a role which she has reprised more than 350 times), Mimi and Musetta La Boheme, Cio Cio San Madame Butterfly, Silvana La Fiamma, Adriana Adriana Lecouvreur (a role which she debuted at La Scala in 2000), Francesca Francesca da Rimini, Isabella Robert le Diable, Elisabetta Don Carlo, Gilda Rigoletto, the four soprano roles in Tales of Hoffman, Magda La Rondine, the title role in Iris by Mascagni and Norma by Bellini, Lucrezia Borgia and the three Donizetti queens, Thais, Semiramide, and many more.
America
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Nelly has enjoyed an extremely successful relationship with Washington Opera, where she sang roles including Imogene Il Pirata, Elena and Margherita Mefistofele, the title roles in Anna Bolena, Lucrezia Borgia, Manon, and Violetta La Traviata. In 1989 she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Mimi La Boheme. She continued to sing in America, most notably in Philadelphia, Dallas and San Francisco, and in 2007 made her house debut at New York City Opera as Agrippina. Nelly has also appeared in South America, where she has had success in Santiago and the famous Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.
The VARA Matinee Concert series and Opera Rara recordings
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In 1985 she headlined a famous series of Vara Matinee Concerts at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and over the following two decades continued to extend her repertoire to include the great bel canto heroines. In these roles she could advance her own unique artistry in the way for which she has today become so highly acclaimed. Her Armenaide Tancredi at the 1992 Salzburg festival was greatly admired, and she continued to sing many Rossinian roles such as Armida, Semiramide and Ermione to similar acclaim.
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Her recordings include Puccini’s Tosca, Mercadante’s Orazi e Curiazi, Donizetti’s Rosamunda d’ Inghilterra (with Renee Fleming & Bruce Ford) and Maria De Rudenz, Rossini’s Ricciardo e Zoraide, Pacini’s Maria d’ Inghilterra - nominated for best bel canto recording of 1998, Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and a live recording in Rome of Respighi’s La Fiamma, and Nelly Miricioiu Live at the Concertgebouw. Latest releases including Nelly Miricioiu - A Rossini Gala, and Nelly Miricioiu – Bel Canto Portrait were both nominated as records of the year in 2000 and 2001. Roberto Devereux recorded on the Opera Rara label at ROH Covent Garden was released in July 2003, followed by a new recording of Mercadante’s Emma D’Antiochia released in May 2005.
Teaching
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As well as being one of the ultimate artists of any generation, with a career that spans over thirty years, Nelly is now in great demand as a visiting tutor, maestra and singing teacher. She holds regular posts with the Jette Parker Young Artists Scheme at Covent Garden, The Mediterranean Opera Studio & Festival, and both the Festival y Academia de Musica en Tequila and Opera Studio Beckmann in Mexico. She gives masterclasses in London, Holland, Barcelona, Romania and the Philippines, and has enlightened young singers at ENOA in Riga, the London Masterclasses, Maastricht Conservatoire, Wales International Academy of Voice. She works privately with young singers and artists of the highest level.
