Thread: Most promising young singers

Who are the new talents worth following in the future ?

Elizabeth De Shong stood out for me in the Enchanted Island. I'd like to hear her Cenerentola.

Also thought Marita Sølberg was a wonderful Mimi in the Oslo La Boheme.

Hanna Hipp was a great Anna in Les Troyens in London, and Ed Lyon made a great Hylas in the same production

Marita Sølberg is really good. Seeing her do Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi on Saturday. Definitely one to watch. Shame she doesn't sing much outside Oslo, though.

And another Norwegian lady to watch is Ingeborg Gillebo. She did a most terrific Rosina (in Oslo) last season, a wonderful Costanza (in Haydn's L'isola disabitata) this year, and she is covering Elina Garanca as Sesto in Clemenza di Tito at the Met later this season.

Here she is singing E amore un ladroncello from last year's Queen Sonja's International Music Competition (she placed second):


On the male side, there are the baritones Johannes Weisser and Audun Iversen who both are embarking on international careers. Weisser sang Don Giovanni on the Jacobs recording, and Iversen sang the Count in this summer's Glyndebourne production of Marriage of Figaro.

I don't find anyone that impressive to rely upon for the future. Today's singers seem like "golden mediocrities", but we have to live with what we have.
Lucy Crowe was good in the Baroque field (the recent Handel's "Pastor fido"). Anna Kiknadze is a fine mezzo (in the very recent Don Quichote by Massenet), but not even close to the luxuriant tones of a Crespin or Berganza.
At least, Stephanie d'Oustrac was quite impressive and convincing in the difficult and quite idiomatic repertory of works of Cavalli, Faggioli, Monteverdi, Strozzi, A. Scarlatti ,etc. (on Ambronay).
There are some "stars" to watch over there, but none really makes any difference or gives any added value vis a vis La voce d'Oro even of the near past.

Principe

This Cuban coloratura soprano is amazing! What a great name she has!



The same aria, by Maria Aleida:



And check this:

Her Una voce poco fa

This another lovely Romanian soprano, with a notorious name, but no connection! She is quite young!
Teodora Gheorghiu...

Are you sure she is Romanian? Her name sounds Greek to me, but who knows...

Principe

Originally Posted by principe

Are you sure she is Romanian? Her name sounds Greek to me, but who knows...

Principe

Not to me, though of course her first name does originally come from the Greek and means "gift of God". Lots of romanian surnames end in a "u" (Greek surnames are more likely to end in "is" or "as" or "os").

Thanks so far, I plan to pay more attention to new singers in the future. I will check out all the singers that you recommend.

Originally Posted by principe

I don't find anyone that impressive to rely upon for the future. Today's singers seem like "golden mediocrities"

I really hope you are wrong. The young generation is the future ! And in 30 years I will still love live opera performances!

I really hope I am wrong too, but, as I grow older and older, I cannot possibly find any true great singer, worthy of the most important ones of the glorious past. There is some bright exceptions in the Baroque field, though.

Mamascarlatti, I happen to know few things about Greek names too. Theodora means "(the one sent as a) gift from God" and the way it is written is typical Greek, not Romanian at all, while the other Gheorghiu's first name (Angela) sounds at least more international. As for the Greek surnames, you are right as for the male names; for the female, however, the names change to "ou" (or "u") for those ending in "os", "a" for those ending in "as" and in "i" for the ones ending in "is". Some male names end also in "ou"; in this case the female remains the same ("ou" as well). (I happen to have Greek friends/relations too; and some Romanian as well). By the way, her face looks very typical Greek too (if she is really Romanian, she might be of Greek descent). Anyway, let's hope she can be a very good singer to serve this genre as good as it gets.

Principe

One of my favourite new young singers is the Russian bass Grigory Soloviov. He's gradually building up a cv of good roles in smaller houses & I'm hoping he'll be a future star.

He's a young man who is managing his career & voice very intelligently.

Recent interview.

Originally Posted by sospiro

One of my favourite new young singers is the Russian bass Grigory Soloviov. He's gradually building up a cv of good roles in smaller houses & I'm hoping he'll be a future star.

He's a young man who is managing his career & voice very intelligently.

The next Commendatore ?

Originally Posted by Dongiovanni

The next Commendatore ?

Hope so, one day

Teodora Gheorghiu is Romanian! Her name is popular in Romania, both in men (Teodor) and women.
Romania and Greece are quite close geographically and not only. Some Greek words also ended up in Romanian.
Her name is written Teodora, not Theodora.