On 28 November 2020, Zsolt Haja, Chamber Singer for the 2019/20 season gave an aria recital featuring rarities on the Sándor Hevesi Stage of the Eiffel Art Studios. The performance was streamed from 8:00 p.m. on Facebook and Origo.hu.
Debrecen-born Zsolt Haja made his debut as an opera singer in his home town in 2005. He first appeared at the Hungarian State Opera in 2008, where he has become one of the most excellent artists by now. His repertoire includes the important baritone roles of Hungarian and international operas, but he can be seen in grand operettas and such special productions as The Tempest, Lear or Die Frau ohne Schatten. He is also known by international audiences as he has won several prestigious singing competitions and took part in tours of the Opera abroad. The institute named him Chamber Singer for the 2019/20 season, and he was awarded the Silver Cross of Merit. For his recital, beside his iconic roles like Figaro and Papageno, he chose excerpts from French operas. One of his guests was Rita Rácz, who is not only a frequent partner on stage but in his private life as well. The surprise guest was Zsófia Nagy, a young soprano at the beginning of her career.
Artistic director of the performance: Andrea Kováts
Host: Dániel Mona
Featuring on the piano: Klára Jean
Programme:
Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia – Figaro's entrance from Act 1 ("Largo al factotum della città")
Gounod: Faust – Valentin's prayer from Act 2 ("Avant de quitter ces lieux")
Thomas: Hamlet – Hamlet's aria from Act 2 ("O vin dissipe la tristesse")
Thomas: Mignon – Philine's aria from Act 2 ("Je suis Titania") – performed by Rita Rácz
Haydn: Piano Sonata in E Minor (excerpts) – performed by Klára Jean
Puccini: La bohème – Mimì's aria from Act 3 („Donde lieta uscì”) – performed by Zsófia Nagy
Massenet: Werther – Werther's aria from Act 3 ("Pourqui me révellier")
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte – Papageno's aria from Act 2 ("Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen wünscht Papageno sich!")
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte – Papageno and Papagena's duet from Act 2 ("Pa-Pa-Pa-Papageno"”) – featuring Rita Rácz
The performance can be viewed HERE.
Photo by Péter Rákossy