Julia Lezhneva
Encyclopedia
Julia Lezhneva (born December 5, 1989) is a Russian soprano
and coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer. She has studied with Elena Obraztsova
, Dennis O'Neill
CBE and Yvonne Kenny
.
(Sakhalin
island), Russia, into a family of geophysicists. In 2004 Lezhneva graduated with distinction from the Gretchaninov Music School in Moscow. In June 2008 she received an honours degree for her vocal studies and a diploma for piano at the Moscow Conservatory
. She pursued her studies from 2008 at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice
(CIAV) under Dennis O'Neill
. While at CIAV, Lezhneva participated in masterclasses of Richard Bonynge
, Carlo Rizzi
, John Fisher
, Kiri te Kanawa
, Ileana Cotrubas
, and Rebecca Evans
. She has attended masterclasses with Elena Obraztsova
in St. Petersburg in 2007, and with Alberto Zedda
at the Accademia Rossiniana in Pesaro in 2008. She also attended masterclasses with Thomas Quasthoff
during the 2009 Verbier Festival
.
She has given solo appearances at the Great, Small and Rachmaninoff Halls of Moscow State Conservatory, the Great and Small Halls of Saint-Petersburg Philharmonic, the Bolshoi Theatre
and also internationally in Poland, Japan, Slovakia, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Norway and Italy. At the age of 12 Lezhneva began to participate in vocal competitions and festivals. She won the Grand Prix at both of Elena Obraztsova's international competitions, the 1st Competition for Young Vocalists (2006) and the 6th Competition for Young Opera Singers (2007), for which she also won all special prizes. In August 2009 she became the youngest ever winner of the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition, winning the 1st prize during its 6th competition. Among Lezhneva's many other awards is the Russian 'Triumph' award for her contribution to culture and art. Lezhneva performed in concerts at such international festivals as the Salzburg Mozartwoche Festival (with conductor and mentor Marc Minkowski
) and Rossini Opera Festival
in Pesaro (with conductor Alberto Zedda
and tenor Juan Diego Flórez
).
Following her British debut in Liverpool
during February 2010, Lezhneva made her London debut on 13 May 2010, at the age of 20, singing Elena's Final Rondo from Rossini's La donna del lago
at the Classical Brit awards at the Royal Albert Hall
. Dame Kiri te Kanawa
, recipient of the evening's Lifetime Achievement award, personally introduced Lezhneva as her protégé. Operatic tenor Dennis O'Neill
, director at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice
, where Lezhneva has studied since September 2008, said:
In 2010 Lezhneva sang in the European concert tour (Kraków, London's Barbican Centre
, Castellon, and Valladolid) and recoding Vivaldi's Ottone in villa
with Il Giardino Armonico
and Giovanni Antonini
, as well as giving debut solo concerts at the Salzburg Festival
with the Mozarteum Orchestra and Marc Minkowski
released Lezhneva's first solo album, Rossini arias with Marc Minkowski and Sinfonia Varsovia. The CD became a classical bestseller in Europe particularly reaching number 1 in French classical charts. In June 2011 Lezhneva made her full operatic stage debut as Urbain in the historic Olivier Py
production of Les Huguenots
production at La Monnaie
in Brussels, conducted by Marc Minkowski.
to bel canto
to Romantic
. It comprises works by Vivaldi and Broschi
, Bach
and Handel
, Mozart and Rossini, Bellini
and Donizetti, Massenet and Charpentier
, Rimsky-Korsakov and Gretchaninov
. She also performs songs by Fauré
, Schubert, Berlioz, Debussy, Boulanger
, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov.
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
and coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer. She has studied with Elena Obraztsova
Elena Obraztsova
Elena Vasiliyevna Obraztsova is a Russian mezzo-soprano, widely recognised as one of the greatest opera singers of all time, thanks to her outstanding stage presence and the vocal abilities....
, Dennis O'Neill
Dennis O'Neill
Dennis O'Neill CBE is a Welsh operatic tenor and recording artist.-Early career:Born of Welsh and Irish parents, he studied privately with Professor Frederic Cox in Manchester and then in London...
CBE and Yvonne Kenny
Yvonne Kenny
Yvonne Kenny AM is an Australian soprano, particularly associated with Handel and Mozart roles.Born in Sydney, she first studied at the University of Sydney in science, hoping to become a biochemist, but decided to pursue a career in music instead...
.
Early life, tuition and awards
Julia Lezhneva was born on December 5, 1989 in Yuzhno-SakhalinskYuzhno-Sakhalinsk
-Demographics:Most residents are ethnic Russians, but there also exists a sizable population of Koreans. Of the 43,000 Sakhalin Koreans, half are estimated to live in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, comprising roughly 12% of the city's population...
(Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
island), Russia, into a family of geophysicists. In 2004 Lezhneva graduated with distinction from the Gretchaninov Music School in Moscow. In June 2008 she received an honours degree for her vocal studies and a diploma for piano at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
. She pursued her studies from 2008 at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice
Cardiff International Academy of Voice
The Cardiff International Academy of Voice was established by its founder Welsh tenor Dennis O'Neill CBE to provide advanced voice, music and drama coaching to young professional opera singers from all over the world in the early stages of their careers. When it originally opened in 2007 it was...
(CIAV) under Dennis O'Neill
Dennis O'Neill
Dennis O'Neill CBE is a Welsh operatic tenor and recording artist.-Early career:Born of Welsh and Irish parents, he studied privately with Professor Frederic Cox in Manchester and then in London...
. While at CIAV, Lezhneva participated in masterclasses of Richard Bonynge
Richard Bonynge
Richard Alan Bonynge, AO, CBE is an Australian conductor and pianist.Bonynge was born in Sydney and educated at Sydney Boys High School before studying piano at the Royal College of Music in London. He gave up his music scholarship, continuing his private piano studies, and became a coach for...
, Carlo Rizzi
Carlo Rizzi (conductor)
Carlo Rizzi is an Italian conductor.Rizzi studied music at the Milan Conservatory. He later was a conducting student of Vladimir Delman, in Bologna, and with Franco Ferrara in Siena. His opera conducting debut was in 1982, with Donizetti's L'ajo nell'imbarazzo...
, John Fisher
John Fisher
Saint John Fisher was an English Roman Catholic scholastic, bishop, cardinal and martyr. He shares his feast day with Saint Thomas More on 22 June in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and 6 July on the Church of England calendar of saints...
, Kiri te Kanawa
Kiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...
, Ileana Cotrubas
Ileana Cotrubas
Ileana Cotrubaş is a Romanian opera soprano whose career spanned from the 1960s to the 1980s. She was much admired for her acting skills and facility for singing opera in many different languages.-Biography:...
, and Rebecca Evans
Rebecca Evans
Rebecca Evans is a Welsh operatic soprano.-Personal life:Born in the village of Pontrhydyfen near Neath, the same village as Hollywood actor Richard Burton....
. She has attended masterclasses with Elena Obraztsova
Elena Obraztsova
Elena Vasiliyevna Obraztsova is a Russian mezzo-soprano, widely recognised as one of the greatest opera singers of all time, thanks to her outstanding stage presence and the vocal abilities....
in St. Petersburg in 2007, and with Alberto Zedda
Alberto Zedda
Alberto Zedda is an Italian conductor and musicologist, a specialist of the 19th century Italian repertoire.Zedda studied in his native Milan with Antonino Votto and Carlo Maria Giulini, and made his debut there as conductor in 1956, with Il barbiere di Siviglia...
at the Accademia Rossiniana in Pesaro in 2008. She also attended masterclasses with Thomas Quasthoff
Thomas Quasthoff
Thomas Quasthoff is a German bass-baritone. Although his reputation was initially based on his performance of Romantic lieder, Quasthoff has proven to have a remarkable range from the Baroque cantatas of Bach to solo jazz improvisations.-Biography:Quasthoff was born in Hildesheim, Germany, with...
during the 2009 Verbier Festival
Verbier Festival
The Verbier Festival is an international music festival that takes place annually for two weeks in late July and early August in the mountain resort of Verbier, Switzerland.Founded by Swedish expatriate Martin T...
.
She has given solo appearances at the Great, Small and Rachmaninoff Halls of Moscow State Conservatory, the Great and Small Halls of Saint-Petersburg Philharmonic, the Bolshoi Theatre
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are amongst the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world...
and also internationally in Poland, Japan, Slovakia, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Norway and Italy. At the age of 12 Lezhneva began to participate in vocal competitions and festivals. She won the Grand Prix at both of Elena Obraztsova's international competitions, the 1st Competition for Young Vocalists (2006) and the 6th Competition for Young Opera Singers (2007), for which she also won all special prizes. In August 2009 she became the youngest ever winner of the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition, winning the 1st prize during its 6th competition. Among Lezhneva's many other awards is the Russian 'Triumph' award for her contribution to culture and art. Lezhneva performed in concerts at such international festivals as the Salzburg Mozartwoche Festival (with conductor and mentor Marc Minkowski
Marc Minkowski
Marc Minkowski is a French conductor of classical music, especially known for his interpretations of French Baroque works. His mother is American, and his father was Alexandre Minkowski, a Polish-French professor of pediatrics and one of the founders of neonatology...
) and Rossini Opera Festival
Rossini Opera Festival
The Rossini Opera Festival is an opera festival held in August of each year in Pesaro, Italy, the birthplace of the opera composer Gioachino Rossini....
in Pesaro (with conductor Alberto Zedda
Alberto Zedda
Alberto Zedda is an Italian conductor and musicologist, a specialist of the 19th century Italian repertoire.Zedda studied in his native Milan with Antonino Votto and Carlo Maria Giulini, and made his debut there as conductor in 1956, with Il barbiere di Siviglia...
and tenor Juan Diego Flórez
Juan Diego Flórez
Juan Diego Flórez is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Sol del Perú....
).
Season 2009/2010
During the 2009/10 season, Julia gave solo performances in the UK, Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, and Italy. In January 2010 she made her debut at the Salzburg Mozartwoche Festival, performing the soprano part in Mozart’s Great Mass under the baton of Marc Minkowski. In April 2010 she participated in the memorial concert for late Polish president Lech Kaczynski, singing the soprano part in Mozart’s Requiem under Marc Minkowski at the Main Square of Kraków.Following her British debut in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
during February 2010, Lezhneva made her London debut on 13 May 2010, at the age of 20, singing Elena's Final Rondo from Rossini's La donna del lago
La donna del lago
La donna del lago is an opera by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, based on The Lady of the Lake, a poem by Sir Walter Scott.This opera was the first to be based on Scott's romantic works...
at the Classical Brit awards at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. Dame Kiri te Kanawa
Kiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...
, recipient of the evening's Lifetime Achievement award, personally introduced Lezhneva as her protégé. Operatic tenor Dennis O'Neill
Dennis O'Neill
Dennis O'Neill CBE is a Welsh operatic tenor and recording artist.-Early career:Born of Welsh and Irish parents, he studied privately with Professor Frederic Cox in Manchester and then in London...
, director at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice
Cardiff International Academy of Voice
The Cardiff International Academy of Voice was established by its founder Welsh tenor Dennis O'Neill CBE to provide advanced voice, music and drama coaching to young professional opera singers from all over the world in the early stages of their careers. When it originally opened in 2007 it was...
, where Lezhneva has studied since September 2008, said:
We at the International Academy of Voice at Cardiff University are delighted that our President Dame Kiri te Kanawa has chosen to present Julia as her protégé. It will launch Julia’s career on a global level and we are proud that our work here is also being recognised as the institution to have contributed to the advanced preparation and development of this new world-class artist.
In 2010 Lezhneva sang in the European concert tour (Kraków, London's Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
, Castellon, and Valladolid) and recoding Vivaldi's Ottone in villa
Ottone in villa
Ottone in villa is an opera in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi to an Italian libretto by Domenico Lalli . It was Vivaldi's first opera and premiered on 17 May 1713 at the Teatro delle Grazie in Vicenza...
with Il Giardino Armonico
Il Giardino Armonico
Il Giardino Armonico is a pioneering Italian early music ensemble founded in Milan in 1985 by Luca Pianca and Giovanni Antonini, primarily to play 17th- and 18th-century music on period instruments....
and Giovanni Antonini
Giovanni Antonini
Giovanni Antonini is an Italian conductor and soloist on the recorder and baroque transverse flute. He studied in his native Milan, and attended the Civica Scuola di Musica in that city and the Centre de Musique Ancienne in Geneva...
, as well as giving debut solo concerts at the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
with the Mozarteum Orchestra and Marc Minkowski
2011 – present
In March 2011 Naïve RecordsNaïve Records
Naïve Records is a French independent record label based in Paris, specializing in electronic music, pop music, jazz and classical music. It was founded in 1997 by Patrick Zelnik, Gilles Paires and Eric Tong Cuong.-Artists:* Aṣa* Asian Dub Foundation...
released Lezhneva's first solo album, Rossini arias with Marc Minkowski and Sinfonia Varsovia. The CD became a classical bestseller in Europe particularly reaching number 1 in French classical charts. In June 2011 Lezhneva made her full operatic stage debut as Urbain in the historic Olivier Py
Olivier Py
Olivier Py is a French stage director, actor and writer.In 1997, Py became director of the Centre Dramatique National d'Orléans. In 2007, he became director of the Théâtre de l'Odéon....
production of Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots is a French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, one of the most popular and spectacular examples of the style of grand opera. The opera is in five acts and premiered in Paris in 1836. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps....
production at La Monnaie
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
in Brussels, conducted by Marc Minkowski.
Repertoire
Lezhneva's repertoire ranges across many styles and periods, from BaroqueBaroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
to bel canto
Bel canto
Bel canto , along with a number of similar constructions , is an Italian opera term...
to Romantic
Romantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
. It comprises works by Vivaldi and Broschi
Riccardo Broschi
Riccardo Broschi was a composer of baroque music and the brother of the opera singer Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli....
, Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
and Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
, Mozart and Rossini, Bellini
Bellini
-People:*Vincenzo Bellini , opera composer*a family of Italian painters:**Jacopo Bellini , father of Gentile and Giovanni**Gentile Bellini **Giovanni Bellini , the most famous of the three...
and Donizetti, Massenet and Charpentier
Charpentier
Charpentier is the French word for carpenter and a French surname. A variant spelling is Carpentier. In English the name is spelled Carpenter while in German it is Zimmermann....
, Rimsky-Korsakov and Gretchaninov
Alexander Gretchaninov
Alexander Tikhonovich Gretchaninov was a Russian Romantic composer.-His life:Gretchaninov started his musical studies rather late because his father, a businessman, had expected the boy to take over the family firm...
. She also performs songs by Fauré
Faure
Faure or Fauré is a French family name and may refer to:People:* Edgar Faure, French politician* Élie Faure, French art historian and essayist* Émile Alphonse Faure, lead battery pioneer* Cédric Fauré, French football striker...
, Schubert, Berlioz, Debussy, Boulanger
Boulanger
Several notable persons share the very typical French/Francophone surname Boulanger which is the equivalent of the English surname Baker, of the Italian surname Panettiere, etc.:...
, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov.
Discography
- Bach, Mass in B Minor. Label: Naïve Records
- Rossini, Rossini Arias Label: Naïve Records
- Vivaldi, Ottone in villa – Verónica Cangemi, Sonia Prina, Julia Lezhneva, Topi Lehtipuu, Roberta Invernizzi; Il Giardino ArmonicoIl Giardino ArmonicoIl Giardino Armonico is a pioneering Italian early music ensemble founded in Milan in 1985 by Luca Pianca and Giovanni Antonini, primarily to play 17th- and 18th-century music on period instruments....
, Giovanni Antonini (conductor). Label: Naïve Records RV729
External links
- Gala Performance at the Classical Brits 2010, Royal Albert Hall, 2010
- L'ombre, laure from Ottone in Villa, Naive
- Naïve Records Rossini CD promo film, 2011
- Naïve Records 2008 clip about Bach Mass in B Minor recording,featuring the interview with Julia Lezhneva
- Lezhneva performs Rachmaninov's song, "Daisies," in recital with Michael Antonenko
External links
- Gala Performance at the Classical Brits 2010, Royal Albert Hall, 2010
- L'ombre, laure from Ottone in Villa, Naive
- Naïve Records Rossini CD promo film, 2011
- Naïve Records 2008 clip about Bach Mass in B Minor recording,featuring the interview with Julia Lezhneva
- Lezhneva performs Rachmaninov's song, "Daisies," in recital with Michael Antonenko