In the 29 November 2020 Masquerade, an internationally renowned mezzo-soprano star, Ildikó Komlósi presented her favourite arias on the Sándor Hevesi Stage of the Eiffel Art Studios. Her recital was streamed from 8:00 p.m. on Facebook and Origo.hu.
After obtaining her diploma from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Ildikó Komlósi went on to London and Milan to continue her studies. She has been a regular performer at the Hungarian State Opera since 1984. Her international career began in 1986, when she won the Pavarotti Singing Competition. Afterwards, she has become a recurring guest at the most famous opera houses in the world: the New York Metropolitan, Wiener Staatsoper, La Scala, Semperoper and the Royal Opera in London. Her repertoire includes operas by Donizetti, Mozart, Verdi, R. Strauss and Wagner as well as baroque and contemporary pieces. She is also considered one of the world's most accomplished interpreters of the role of Judith in Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle. The Opera named her Chamber Singer for the 2015/16 season, her achievements were awarded with the Middle Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit in 2014 and the Kossuth Prize in 2016. In her aria recital she sang excerpts from romantic operas, but for an aria she took listeners to the baroque era as well. One of her guests was Kossuth Prize recipient Chamber Singer Eszter Sümegi, the surprise guest was Andrea Brassói-Jőrös, a soprano at the beginning of her career.
Artistic directors of the performance: Orsolya Magyar and Andrea Kováts
Host: Szilveszter Ókovács
Featuring on the piano: Kálmán Szennai
Programme:
Händel: Rinaldo – Rinaldo's aria from Act 2 ("Lascia ch’io pianga")
Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila – Dalila's aria from Act 1 ("Printemps qui commence")
Debussy: Suite bergamasque – Clair de Lune – performed by Kálmán Szennai
Verdi: Il trovatore – Azucena's canzone from Act 2 ("Stride la vampa!")
Verdi: La forza del destino – Leonora's aria from Act 4 ("Pace, pace o mio Dio”") – performed by Eszter Sümegi
Verdi: Il trovatore – Azucena's aria from Act 2 ("Condotta ell’era in ceppi")
Puccini: La bohème – Mimì's aria from Act 3 ("Donde lieta usci") – performed by Andrea Brassói-Jőrös
Verdi: Aida – Aida and Amneris's duet from Act 2 ("Fu la sorte dell’armi a tuoi funesta") – featuring Eszter Sümegi
Bizet: Carmen – Habanera ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle")
The performance can be viewed HERE.
Photo by Valter Berecz