Singer Elina Garanca: biography, professional activity

Excellent owner mezzo-soprano, Latvian singer Elina Garancha won the hearts of her listeners with a unique timbre, high-quality technique and soulful performance of classical works. Cooperating on opera stages with world-famous symphony orchestras, Elina Garancha, whose photo depicts the sensual performance of even complex parties, is not satisfied with the successes achieved and continues to work actively.

How did it reach such professional heights? What is the key to the success of the singer? Let's talk about this in the article.

Talent developed since childhood

The singer was born in the Latvian capital, Riga, on September 16, 1976. As a child, Elina was surrounded by music, because both her parents are musicians. His father is a choral director, and his mother is a famous vocal teacher at the Latvian National Opera , a professor at the Latvian Academy of Music, and an associate professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture. In 1996, Elina Garancha started singing with Sergei Martynov at the Latvian Academy of Music. She continued her studies in Vienna, where Irina Gavrilovich worked with her since 1998, and then in the United States with Virginia Zeani. This training allowed Elina to gain experience in opera and improve her vocal skills. It was during her studies that the singer felt a special craving for the bel canto's repertoire. It happened after she performed the part of Jane Seymour from the opera "Anna Boleyn" Gaetano Donizetti.

First victories

Elina Garancha, whose biography originates in Latvia, debuted as a professional opera singer not in her native country, but in the German city of Meiningen. There, at the State Theater of South Thuringia, she performed with the role of Octavian from the opera "The Chevalier of the Rose." In 1999, Elina won the Helsinki Vocal Competition of Miriam Helin in Helsinki.

Literally a year later she received the main prize in the national competition of performers in Latvia, after which she worked together with the troupe at the Frankfurt Opera. There Elina Garancha continued to build her dizzying musical career, performing the roles of Hansel in the opera "Hansel and Gretel" Humperdinck, Rosina in the "Barber of Seville" and the Second Lady in "The Magic Flute".

The language barrier

It's no secret that victory in a contest can only be won at the cost of huge efforts, and Elina Garancha is no exception. Since 1999, she started living in Germany, and somehow she had to learn a completely unknown language from zero, because without this it would be impossible to issue a visa and a tax return. Once the singer confessed that not only her colleagues and books helped her to learn German, but she also helped her TV. Since in the evenings the singer was busy engaging in performances, the morning German television shows helped her to learn a new language.

World Recognition

In 2001 Elina Garanca became the finalist of international competitions among opera singers BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, after which her first solo album was released. At the Salzburg Festival in 2003, Garancha sang the part of Annio in the production of Mozart's "Mercy of Titus" under the guidance of Nikolaus Arnonkur. These achievements opened the 27-year-old singer the door to the Vienna State Opera, which later was the main place of her work.

Here, in the next few years, Elina performed Dorabella's roles in the opera "So do all" and Charlotte in "Werther". Then French opera lovers could hear her at the Champs-Elysees Theater, where Elina Garanca played the part of Angelina in Rossini's opera Cinderella and the role of Octavian at the Paris Opera.

In 2007, the singer debuted as Dorabella at the Royal Theater of London "Covent Garden" and at the Berlin State Opera. In 2008, Elina Garancha performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and at the Bavarian Opera in Munich.

Speeches in his native country

Elina rarely had to perform at home, but in 2007, the Latvians first saw her at the Latvian National Opera, where she performed the Carmen party. December 17, 2015 the singer will again perform there, but already with a solo concert, which will devote to the memory of her recently deceased mother. Anita Garanca, the mother of the singer, helped many talents become high-level opera singers and perform in prestigious theaters. This special evening will be conducted by Elina's husband - Karel Mark Shishon, chief conductor of the German Philharmonic Orchestra.

For today the Latvian singer has won scenes of the leading opera houses all over the world. Critics say that Elina is very professional and easily speaks the voice, which allows her to gracefully perform a complex repertoire. The spectators do not leave indifferent either the beautiful appearance that Elina Garancha possesses. Growth, weight Elina provide her with a beautiful figure, which, of course, is quite important for an opera singer with a worldwide name. By the way, she often goes out together with the Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko, a charismatic brunette, the owner of a lyrical soprano. Although they are often called rivals, the Latvian blonde and Russian brunette quite successfully perform on the same stage. In addition, they have already recorded Bellini's opera "Capulets and Montagues".

Musical growth today

Elina Garancha has already played three roles for Carmen: in London, New York and in her native Riga. The singer shared that for her the main thing in this role is sensuality and the embodiment of absolute femininity. And thanks to cooperation with the world's leading recording companies, such as Deutcshe Grammophon, EMI Classic, Virgin Classics, Elina Garancha released six solo albums, three of which were awarded the ECHO Klassik Award. Opera Antonio Vivaldi "Bayazet", where the singer performed with the party Andronika, was awarded the music award "Grammy". In 2006, for the contribution to the development of European culture, Elina was awarded the European Culture Prize in the nomination "Musical Art".

At the moment, the opera singer no longer sings to Rosina, but works in a new direction. For example, in her plans to perform the roles of Amneris from "Aida" Verdi and Elizabeth from Donizetti's opera "Maria Stewart". However, in the life of the singer is not only work: a year ago, Elina for the second time became a mother, and now she and her husband are raising two daughters.