Juliana Zara
soprano
The American coloratura soprano is a very enthusiastic interpreter of 20th/21st century repertoire. Recently she sang Wolfgang Rihm’s Ophelia Sings at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich as well as Olga Neuwirth’s Piazza dei Numeri with the ECHO Ensemble in Berlin. In 2021, she performed the world premiere Transstimme by Fabià Santcovsky at the Munich Biennale’s invitation as well as Singularityby Miroslav Srnka at the Cuvilliés-Theater/Bayerische Staatsoper with the Klangforum Wien.
In spring 2022, the CD recording Der Kaiser von Atlantis (Viktor Ullmann) has been released under the BR Klassik label with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester and conductor Patrick Hahn; Juliana Zara sang the role of Bubikopf. She also performed with the Symphonieorchester in Göttingen, the Opera NEO and at the Boston Early Music Festival.
Between 2019-2021, Juliana has been a member of the Opernstudio at the Bayerische Staatsoper and sang roles such as Frasquita (Carmen), Philine (Mignon) and Mercedes (Schön ist die Welt) as well as Luciano Berio’s Sequenza III. Her repertoire includes the roles Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Blonde (Entführung aus dem Serail), Isotta (Die Schweigsame Frau), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte) and Chief of Gepopo (Le Grand Macabre).
Since the season 2021/22, she is a member of the ensemble at the Staatstheater Darmstadt. She made her successful house debut singing the role of Daisy in Paul Abraham’s Ball im Savoy. Furthermore, she performed Alice in Wonderland by Anno Schreier. In the season 2022/23, she will make her debut as Lulu (Alban Berg) and Zerlina in Don Giovanni.
Juliana Zara completed her bachelor’s degree at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she was awarded a scholarship by mentor Marilyn Horne. Under the tutelage of Prof. Anna Korondi, Juliana earned her master’s degree at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin.
Opera / Music Theatre:
Paul Abraham Ball im Savoy (Daisy)
Hans Abrahamsen The Snow Queen (Princess)
Alban Berg Lulu (Lulu)
Leonard Bernstein Candide (Cunegonde)
Georges BizetCarmen (Frasquita)
Gaetano Donizetti
La fille du régiment (Marie)
L‘elisir d‘amore (Adina)
Don Pasquale (Norina)
Fabià Santcovsky Transstimme (Sie) – world premiere
Georg Friedrich Händel Alcina (Morgana)
Joseph Haydn Il mondo della luna (Flaminia)
Franz Lehár Schön ist die Welt (Mercedes)
György Ligeti Le grand macabre (Chef der Gepopo)
Jules Massenet
Werther (Sophie)
Don Quichotte (Pedro)
Cendrillon (La Fée*)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Blonde)
Don Giovanni (Zerlina)
Le nozze di Figaro (Susanna)
Jacques Offenbach Les contes d‘Hoffmann (Olympia)
Krzysztof Penderecki Die Teufel von Loudon (Philippe)
Anno Schreier Wunderland (Alice)
Miroslav Srnka Singularity (Sie) – world premiere
Johann Strauss Die Fledermaus (Adele)
Richard Strauss
Arabella (Fiakermilli)
Die Schweigsame Frau (Isotta)
Ariadne auf Naxos (Zerbinetta)
Der Rosenkavalier (Sophie)
Ambroise Thomas Mignon (Philine)
Viktor Ullmann Der Kaiser von Atlantis (Bubikopf)
Giuseppe Verdi
Un ballo in maschera (Oscar)
Rigoletto (Gilda)
Richard Wagner Parsifal (Klingsors Zaubermädchen)
Stefan Wirth Girl with a Pearl Earring (Griet)
Concert / song cycles:
Samuel Barber Knoxville Summer of 1915
Luciano Berio Sequenza III
Lili Boulanger Clairières dans le ciel
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault Orphée
Claude Debussy Ariettes Oubliées
Maurice Delage Quatre poèmes hindous
Georg Friedrich Händel
Lucrezia HWV 145
Messiah
Johan Haven dream house
Claudio Monteverdi Laudate Dominum Selva morale et spirituale
Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart
Exsultate, jubilate K. 165
Vorrei spiegarvi, o Dio! K. 418
Olga Neuwirth Piazza dei Numeri
Carl Orff Carmina Burana
Giovann Battista Pergolesi Stabat Mater
Franz Schubert Der Hirt auf dem Felsen
Richard Strauss Mädchenblumen op.22
Antonio Vivaldi Laudate pueri RV.626
12/25 March 2023
2/8/14/21 April 2023
Staatstheater Darmstadt
Programme: Alban Berg Lulu
Cast: Staatsorchester Darmstadt, Daniel Cohen/Jan Croonenbroeck (conductor), Eva-Maria Höckmayr (stage director), Paul Zoller (set),
Julia Rösler (costumes), Isabelle Becker (dramaturgy), Katrin Gerstenberger (Countess Geschwitz), Juliana Zara (Lulu), Oliver Zwarg (Dr. Schön) a.o.
10 September 2023, 11:00, Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal
11 September 2023, 20:00, Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal
Programme: “Eine kleine Nichtmusik”: György Ligeti Nouvelle Aventures, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / P.D.Q. Bach Eine Kleine Nichtmusik, György Ligeti Mysteries of the Macabre, Joseph Haydn Symphony Nr. 104 in D major Hob. I:104 “London”
Mitwirkende: Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal, Patrick Hahn (conductor), Andrew Hamilton (baritone), Dorottya Láng (mezzosoprano), Juliana Zara (soprano)
30 September 2023, 19:30 (premiere)
13/27 October 2023, 19:30
16 November 2023, 19:30
8 February 2024, 19:30
6 April 2024, 19:30
26 May 2024, 18:00
Großes Haus, Staatstheater Darmstadt
Programme: Jacques Offenbach / Jules Barbier Les contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) – Opéra fantastique in 5 acts, version by Michael Kaye and Jean-Christophe Keck
Cast: Staatsorchester Darmstadt, Opernchor des Staatstheaters Darmstadt, Daniel Cohen (conductor), Dirk Schmeding (stage director), Robert Schweer (set), Britta Leonhardt (costumes), Jana Baumeister (Giulietta), Megan Marie Hart (Antonia), Juliana Zara (Olympia) a.o.
The brilliant … Juliana Zara, whose soprano sounds glassy clear, high, pure and at the same time completely unstrained, plays a terrifically noncommittal Lulu who is nevertheless devoted, in that uniquely Lulu-like way. So unbelievably youthful, fit and without exaltation, she conquers the role and she does so until the end, without any tiredness that so often characterizes the role. ”
OPERNWELT MAGAZINE, May 2023
Above all, Juliana Zara in the title role proves her central role in extreme complexity. She succeeds, despite a permanent [onstage] presence, to keep a secret. Vocally, the young Californian coloratura soprano is an ideal choice because, in addition to her stage presence, she possesses the certainty in the extreme high notes that Berg expressly demands. Thus Zara maintains the desirable fascination of Lulu in the second part of the opera as well, embodying Lulu’s descent with dissecting sharpness and clarity, which is triggered by her murder of Dr. Schön.
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Axel Zibulski, 14 March 2023
Juliana Zara is the ideal vocal choice for the title role [of Lulu]. Slender, fluid and confidently setting the top notes, Zara commands the vocal quicksilver essential to the character.
Die Deutsche Bühne, o.A., 12 March 2023
Juliana Zara… sang ‘Clairières dans le ciel’ with dramatic expression, an enchanting voice, gently trembling, blooming into a cry
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Doris Kösterke, 27 January 2021
Audio recordings:
Una voce poco fa (Rosina), Il barbiere di Siviglia, Gioacchino Rossini
Deh, vieni, non tardar (Susanna), Le nozze di Figaro, Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart
Der Kaiser von Atlantis
BRKlassik (2021)
Juliana Zara
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Christel Loetzsch
u.a.
Photos:
To download the photos, please click on the photos.
Juliana Zara
Foto: Wilfried Hösl
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Juliana Zara
Foto: Wilfried Hösl
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Juliana Zara
Foto: Wilfried Hösl
.jpg / 3 MB
Juliana Zara
Foto: Wilfried Hösl
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Website: http://julianazara.com
